Advertisement
Advertisement
principle
[prin-suh-puhl]
noun
an accepted or professed rule of action or conduct.
a person of good moral principles.
a fundamental, primary, or general law or truth from which others are derived.
the principles of modern physics.
Synonyms: , , ,a fundamental doctrine or tenet; a distinctive ruling opinion.
the principles of the Stoics.
principles, a personal or specific basis of conduct or management.
to adhere to one's principles; a kindergarten run on modern principles.
guiding sense of the requirements and obligations of right conduct.
a person of principle.
Synonyms: , , ,an adopted rule or method for application in action.
a working principle for general use.
a rule or law exemplified in natural phenomena, the construction or operation of a machine, the working of a system, or the like.
the principle of capillary attraction.
the method of formation, operation, or procedure exhibited in a given case.
a community organized on the patriarchal principle.
a determining characteristic of something; essential quality.
an originating or actuating agency or force.
growth is the principle of life.
an actuating agency in the mind or character, as an instinct, faculty, or natural tendency.
the principles of human behavior.
Chemistry.a constituent of a substance, especially one giving to it some distinctive quality or effect.
Obsolete.beginning or commencement.
principle
1/ ˈɪԲɪə /
noun
a standard or rule of personal conduct
a man of principle
(often plural) a set of such moral rules
he'd stoop to anything
he has no principles
adherence to such a moral code; morality
it's not the money but the principle of the thing
torn between principle and expediency
a fundamental or general truth or law
first principles
the essence of something
the male principle
a source or fundamental cause; origin
principle of life
a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the behaviour of a system
the principle of the conservation of mass
an underlying or guiding theory or belief
the hereditary principle
socialist principles
chem a constituent of a substance that gives the substance its characteristics and behaviour
bitter principle
in theory or essence
because of or in demonstration of a principle
Principle
2/ ˈɪԲɪə /
noun
Christian Science another word for God
Usage
Confusables Note
Word History and Origins
Origin of principle1
Word History and Origins
Origin of principle1
Idioms and Phrases
in principle, in essence or substance; fundamentally.
to accept a plan in principle.
on principle,
according to personal rules for right conduct; as a matter of moral principle.
He refused on principle to agree to the terms of the treaty.
according to a fixed rule, method, or practice.
He drank hot milk every night on principle.
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Jake Wood did indeed become the executive director, but within a fortnight he resigned saying the project breached the humanitarian principles of "humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence", which he said he would not abandon.
This incident with Sen. Padilla was a very literal embodiment of this principle.
"This is an unacceptable practice that flies in the face of the principle that we are all equal before the law," he added.
“His actions in this case ... show an abandonment of some of the most basic principles of fairness.”
The UN and other aid groups are refusing to co-operate with the new system, saying it contravenes the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
Advertisement
Related Words
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse