principled

adjective

prin·​ci·​pled ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəld 

-sə-bəld

: exhibiting, based on, or characterized by principle

—often used in combination

Synonyms of principled

• honorable
• ethical
• honest
• respectable

Examples of principled in a Sentence

She took a principled stand on funding public education.

a high-principled art expert who always told clients what he honestly thought their items were worth

Recent Examples on the Web

Berry’s Sharon has some of the best lines in the film, playing a principled woman who is trapped and suffocating from a society that rewards the capitalist boys club. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026

As trust in institutions faces challenges, Molinaroli sees education as a vital forge for principled leaders, where responsibility is instilled before authority. —Jason Phillips, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026

Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026

So the reluctance to take a prophetic stance in the realm of politics and culture is less a principled unwillingness than a selective one. —Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for principled

• unprincipled

Kids Definition

principled

adjective

prin·​ci·​pled ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəld 

-sə-bəld

: based on or marked by principle

high-principled