as in rule
something (such as a belief or value) that helps a person know what is right and wrong and that influences their actions
He refused to participate on principle. It is against her principles to steal.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of principle
His leadership style is both collaborative and hands-on, built on the same principles of trust and mentorship that guided his own career.
—
Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Software follows the same principle.
—Sinéad O'Sullivan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
After years of positioning themselves against government shutdowns as a matter of principle, Senate Democrats are holding their position far more firmly than during a similar fight over immigration protections in 2018.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
The ultimate number of majority-Black districts in Louisiana is not only a question of constitutional principles applied to prevailing facts.
—Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principle
Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Software follows the same principle.
—Sinéad O'Sullivan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
After years of positioning themselves against government shutdowns as a matter of principle, Senate Democrats are holding their position far more firmly than during a similar fight over immigration protections in 2018.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
The ultimate number of majority-Black districts in Louisiana is not only a question of constitutional principles applied to prevailing facts.
—Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principle
Noun
-
Anthropic updated the rule in July, allowing prospective hires to polish their resumes, cover letters, and applications with the advanced tech.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
-
But Takaichi stood out for her rhetoric, vowing to crack down on rule-breaking visitors and immigrants.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The coaching staff enforces a heightened standard of execution.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Along with passing the map, the Utah legislature passed a bill on redistricting standards that amends Proposition 4, the law that came into play when Utah courts ruled the map needed to be redistricted.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The bill lists several topics teachers could discuss, including the religious background of the signers of the Declaration of Independence (which included Protestants and Deists), President George Washington's farewell address and the biblical Ten Commandments' influence on American law.—
Jessie Balmert,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
-
By law, half of the 20,000 available scholarships are required to go to families with no income cap, meaning even those making $1 million or more could qualify.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Packages with values of $800 or less, which were previously allowed to enter the United States duty-free, are now subject to a range of tariffs and fees.—
Kayla Steinberg,
NBC news,
10 Oct. 2025
-
So Spectrum now wants to encourage its customers to take advantage of those subscriptions, which the company says provides more than $125 per month in value, by launching a new Spectrum app store in its mobile app and on its website, which is meant to streamline that process.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Principle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principle. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share