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prin·ci·ple (pr

-p

1. A basic truth, law, or assumption: the principles of democracy.

a. A rule or standard, especially of good behavior: a man of principle.

b. The collectivity of moral or ethical standards or judgments: a decision based on principle rather than expediency.

3. A fixed or predetermined policy or mode of action.

4. A basic or essential quality or element determining intrinsic nature or characteristic behavior: the principle of self-preservation.

5. A rule or law concerning the functioning of natural phenomena or mechanical processes: the principle of jet propulsion.

6. Chemistry One of the elements that compose a substance, especially one that gives some special quality or effect.

7. A basic source. See Usage Note at principal.

Idioms:

in principle

With regard to the basics: an idea that is acceptable in principle.

on principle

According to or because of principle.

[Middle English, alteration of Old French principe, from Latin prncipium, from prnceps, prncip-, leader, emperor; see per¹ in Indo-European roots.]

principle

Noun

1. a moral rule guiding personal conduct: he'd stoop to anything – he has no principles

2. a set of such moral rules: a man of principle

3. a basic or general truth: the principle of freedom of expression

4. a basic law or rule underlying a particular theory or philosophy: the government has been deceitful and has violated basic principles of democracy

5. a general law in science: the principle of the conservation of mass

6. Chem a constituent of a substance that determines its characteristics

7. in principle in theory though not always in practice

8. on principle because of one's beliefs [Latin principium beginning, basic tenet]

USAGE: Principle and principal are often confused: the principal (not principle) reason for his departure; the plan was approved in principle (not in principal).

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	principle - a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct; "their principles of composition characterized all their works" rule generalisation, generality, generalization - an idea or conclusion having general application; "he spoke in broad generalities" pillar - a fundamental principle or practice; "science eroded the pillars of superstition" yang - the bright positive masculine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology; "yin and yang together produce everything that comes into existence" yin - the dark negative feminine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology; "the interaction of yin and yang maintains the harmony of the universe" feng shui - rules in Chinese philosophy that govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to patterns of yin and yang and the flow of energy (qi); the favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into consideration in designing and siting buildings and graves and furniture
	2.	principle - a rule or standard especially of good behavior; "a man of principle"; "he will not violate his principles" value - an ideal accepted by some individual or group; "he has old-fashioned values" accounting principle, accounting standard - a principle that governs current accounting practice and that is used as a reference to determine the appropriate treatment of complex transactions knightliness, chivalry - the medieval principles governing knighthood and knightly conduct ethic, moral principle, value orientation, value-system - the principles of right and wrong that are accepted by an individual or a social group; "the Puritan ethic"; "a person with old-fashioned values" Hellenism - the principles and ideals associated with classical Greek civilization judicial doctrine, judicial principle, legal principle - (law) a principle underlying the formulation of jurisprudence scruple - an ethical or moral principle that inhibits action
	3.	principle - a basic truth or law or assumption; "the principles of democracy" natural law, law - a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society dictate - a guiding principle; "the dictates of reason" basic principle, fundamental principle, fundamentals, basics, bedrock - principles from which other truths can be derived; "first you must learn the fundamentals"; "let's get down to basics" logic - the principles that guide reasoning within a given field or situation; "economic logic requires it"; "by the logic of war" pleasure principle, pleasure-pain principle, pleasure-unpleasure principle - (psychoanalysis) the governing principle of the id; the principle that an infant seeks gratification and fails to distinguish fantasy from reality reality principle - (psychoanalysis) the governing principle of the ego; the principle that as a child grows it becomes aware of the real environment and the need to accommodate to it insurrectionism - the principle of revolt against constituted authority conservation - (physics) the maintenance of a certain quantities unchanged during chemical reactions or physical transformations Tao - the ultimate principle of the universe
	4.	principle - a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system; "the principle of the conservation of mass"; "the principle of jet propulsion"; "the right-hand rule for inductive fields" rule law of nature, law - a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature; "the laws of thermodynamics" Gestalt law of organization, Gestalt principle of organization - a principle of Gestalt psychology that identifies factors leading to particular forms of perceptual organization Le Chatelier principle, Le Chatelier's law, Le Chatelier's principle, Le Chatelier-Braun principle - the principle that if any change is imposed on a system that is in equilibrium then the system tends to adjust to a new equilibrium counteracting the change Gresham's Law - (economics) the principle that when two kinds of money having the same denominational value are in circulation the intrinsically more valuable money will be hoarded and the money of lower intrinsic value will circulate more freely until the intrinsically more valuable money is driven out of circulation; bad money drives out good; credited to Sir Thomas Gresham mass-energy equivalence - (physics) the principle that a measured quantity of mass is equivalent (according to relativity theory) to a measured quantity of energy Naegele's rule - rule for calculating an expected delivery date; subtract three months from the first day of the last menstrual period and add seven days to that date law of parsimony, Occam's Razor, Ockham's Razor, principle of parsimony - the principle that entities should not be multiplied needlessly; the simplest of two competing theories is to be preferred principle of equivalence - (physics) the principle that an observer has no way of distinguishing whether his laboratory is in a uniform gravitational field or is in an accelerated frame of reference principle of liquid displacement - (hydrostatics) the volume of a body immersed in a fluid is equal to the volume of the displaced fluid Huygens' principle of superposition, principle of superposition - the displacement of any point due to the superposition of wave systems is equal to the sum of the displacements of the individual waves at that point; "the principle of superposition is the basis of the wave theory of light" principle of superposition, superposition principle, superposition - (geology) the principle that in a series of stratified sedimentary rocks the lowest stratum is the oldest mass action, mass-action principle - (neurology) the principle that the cortex of the brain operates as a coordinated system with large masses of neural tissue involved in all complex functioning localisation, localisation of function, localisation principle, localization of function, localization principle, localization - (physiology) the principle that specific functions have relatively circumscribed locations in some particular part or organ of the body
	5.	principle - rule of personal conduct precept prescript, rule - prescribed guide for conduct or action higher law - a principle that takes precedent over the laws of society moral principle - the principle that conduct should be moral hypothetical imperative - a principle stating the action required to attain a desired goal ethical code, ethic - a system of principles governing morality and acceptable conduct caveat emptor - a commercial principle that without a warranty the buyer takes upon himself the risk of quality
	6.	principle - (law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature); "the rationale for capital punishment"; "the principles of internal-combustion engines" rationale explanation - thought that makes something comprehensible dialectics - a rationale for dialectical materialism based on change through the conflict of opposing forces law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"

principle

noun 1. morals, standards, ideals, honour, virtue, ethics, integrity, conscience, morality, decency, scruples, probity, rectitude, moral standards, sense of duty, moral law, sense of honour, uprightness, kaupapa N.Z.

noun 2. belief, rule, standard, attitude, code, notion, criterion, ethic, doctrine, canon, creed, maxim, dogma, tenet, dictum, credo, axiom

noun 3. rule, idea, law, theory, basis, truth, concept, formula, fundamental, assumption, essence, proposition, verity, golden rule, precept >> in principle 4. in general, generally, all things considered, on the whole, in the main, by and large, in essence, all in all, on balance

5. in theory, ideally, on paper, theoretically, in an ideal world, en principe (French)

USAGE Principle and principal are often confused: the principal (not principle) reason for his departure; the plan was approved in principle (not principal).

Translations