Principle definition
The principles of democracy.
The principle of self-preservation.
Moral principles.
The principle of jet propulsion.
The active principle of a medicine.
A man of principle.
An example of principle is a list of values set by a group of people.
A man of principle.
A decision based on principle rather than expediency.
The principle of cell division.
The principle of a gasoline engine is internal combustion.
We need some sort of principles to reason from.
The principle of least privilege holds that a process should only receive the permissions it needs.
I don't doubt your principles; you are clearly a person of principle. It's the principle of the thing; I won't do business with someone I can't trust.
Bernoulli's principle; The Pauli Exclusion Principle prevents two fermions from occupying the same state. The principle of the internal combustion engine.
Many believe that life is the result of some vital principle.
- With regard to the basics:An idea that is acceptable in principle.
- According to or because of principle.
- theoretically or in essence
- because of or according to a principle
Other Word Forms
Noun
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
Origin of principle
- Middle English alteration of Old French principe from Latin prīncipium from prīnceps prīncip- leader, emperor per1 in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Old French principe, from Latin principium (“beginning, foundation"), from princeps (“first"); see prince.
From Wiktionary