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.
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Recent Examples of principle
Markets shift and headlines fade, but the core principles of building long-term wealth remain constant.
—
Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
Speed dating operates on the same basic principle.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Today, the menu doesn’t change quite as often, but the founding principle does.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Asato lives by that principle as well.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principle
Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
Speed dating operates on the same basic principle.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Today, the menu doesn’t change quite as often, but the founding principle does.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Asato lives by that principle as well.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principle
Noun
-
One important rule for the event to be successful is that the donations are clean and acceptable for reuse.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
While that hit was within the rules, his collision with Matthews wasn’t even close.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One wonders, though, if the rules--the standards, the best practices--were followed when the Tomahawk was launched.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Over the ensuing 10 months, the Vatican undertook extensive renovations to the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, which hadn’t been used during Francis’ 12-year papacy and was in dire need of an update to bring its electric, plumbing and other utilities up to standard.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Italy's Constitutional Court on March 12 upheld a 2025 law restricting citizenship to persons with an Italian parent or grandparent.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
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Uncompensated seizure under the land-expropriation law can only be pursued under narrow circumstances—when land is unused or has been abandoned, for example—and the program seemingly has yet to seize any property.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That extra compensation was added to the overall pool and doesn’t decrease the overall value of the units.—
Doug Feinberg,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2026
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Instead of simply disposing of plastic, this approach upcycles environmental waste into a high-value medical resource, thereby reducing the industry’s ecological footprint while benefiting human health.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Principle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principle. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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