on principle
idiom
: because of one's beliefs
She refused on principle to give toy guns to the children.
Examples of on principle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Not all of us are sold on Biden, but we are united in refusing to support Trump on principle.
—
Mike Kabatt, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024
But on principle, political recognition can lead to beneficial security cooperation, humanitarian links, and even lucrative business dealings.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2024
Why Beijing Is Bringing Big Tech to Heel Beijing doesn’t oppose monopolies on principle, but even tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent must put party over profit.
—Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
The New Era itself stands in a strange place: All three of these seasons are well received by fans, yet nobody seems to like the New Era on principle — including players from previous seasons, who don’t appear to take the New Era players seriously.
—Nic Juarez, Vulture, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for on principle 
Mike Kabatt, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024
But on principle, political recognition can lead to beneficial security cooperation, humanitarian links, and even lucrative business dealings.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2024
Why Beijing Is Bringing Big Tech to Heel Beijing doesn’t oppose monopolies on principle, but even tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent must put party over profit.
—Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
The New Era itself stands in a strange place: All three of these seasons are well received by fans, yet nobody seems to like the New Era on principle — including players from previous seasons, who don’t appear to take the New Era players seriously.
—Nic Juarez, Vulture, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for on principle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on principle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near on principle
Cite this Entry
“On principle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20principle. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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