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principle definition

prin·ci·ple (prin′sə pəl)

noun

  1. the ultimate source, origin, or cause of something
  2. a natural or original tendency, faculty, or endowment
  3. a fundamental truth, law, doctrine, or motivating force, upon which others are based moral principles
    1. a rule of conduct, esp. of right conduct
    2. such rules collectively
    3. adherence to them; integrity; uprightness a man of principle
  5. an essential element, constituent, or quality, esp. one that produces a specific effect the active principle of a medicine
    1. the scientific law that explains a natural action the principle of cell division
    2. the method of a thing's operation the principle of a gasoline engine is internal combustion

Etymology: ME, altered < MFr principe < L principium: see principium

principle Idioms

in principle

theoretically or in essence

on principle

because of or according to a principle

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms principle idiom

medical principle definition - medical

principle Synonyms

principle

n.

  1. A fundamental law

    origin, source, postulate; see law 4.

  2. A belief or set of beliefs; often plural

    system, opinion, teaching; see belief 1, faith 2, policy.

in principle

in theory, ideally, in essence; see theoretically.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

principle Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • subsidiarity: It also states that the state should only be active where families and the voluntary sector cannot ( principle of subsidiarity ).

Converse of object

  • apply: All were not teachers, still less public teachers, of the Word; still in these cases, the same principles exactly applied.

Adjective modifier

  • guiding: A guiding principle was " allowing the community group to take control " .

Noun used with modifier

  • uncertainty: The Heisenberg uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics implies that vacuum fluctuations are present in every quantum theory.
principle usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

principle quotes

The unbought grace of life, the cheap defence of nations, the nurse of manly sentiment and heroic enterprise isgone! it isgone, that sensibility of principle, that chastity of honour, which felt a stain like a wound, which ennobled whatever it touched, and under which vice itself lost half its evil, by losing all its grossness.

-Burke, Edmund

Kings will be tyrants from policy when subjects are rebels from principle.

-Burke, Edmund

We can do worse than remember the principle which both gives us a firm Rock and leaves us the maximum elasticity for our mindsöHold to Christ, and for the rest be totally uncommitted.

-Butterfield, Sir Herbert

principle quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"principle." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/principle>

APA Style

principle. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/principle

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