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

President Burchfield is a principled politician who rose to office by trusting his heartland instincts. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

This tension unfolds with riveting restraint in a story set in 1960s Nagaland — the eastern Indian state on the Burmese border — following the principled chief of a waning tribe, and the arrival of an American missionary. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026

In the ever more precarious world of academia, the neck of the principled luddite crank might be particularly attractive when institutions swing the axe in the next round of layoffs. — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

In an awful instant, two boys lose their mother and the movie loses any kind of principled posture. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 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