on principle

phrase

: 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

Finally, the column suggests that voters may respect a leader who acts on principle even when the public does not uniformly agree with the policy. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

But as her mom explained, Bierer had been anticipating a moment like this for a couple of years, and was prepared to stand â or more precisely, walk â on principle. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

And gerrymandering to steal seats is offensive on principle; neither party should have to perform disproportionately well in an election just to reassert a level playing field. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026

Yes, some Republicans oppose AI regulation on principle, and many in the administration fear an AI pause would aid China and crater our AI-heavy stock market. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for on principle

• principal