as in principles
formal
a statement by an authority of how people should behave
the moral precepts of a religion
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Recent Examples of precepts
Arora kept trying things, pressing one finer point of the law or another, running up against certain universal precepts that stood outside the jurisdiction of the superior court.
—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Shi was also alleged to have committed criminal offenses and violated Buddhist precepts by maintaining relationships with multiple women over a long period and fathering at least one child, according to a notice from the temple’s authority on its WeChat account at that time.
—
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
On May 6, 2026, a historic ceremony was held where a robot received the Buddhist precepts from a monk.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
Yet, their rise did contribute to the prevention of the power of a single individual who would thwart the precepts of the Constitution.
—
Richard Davis,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
But Felder also feared that the attack would provoke unprecedented violence against Palestinians, and believed that being Jewish required adhering to certain moral precepts.
—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Accordingly, the warring factions have competed to depict themselves as the true embodiment of MAGA and paint their rivals as undermining Trump or deviating from his precepts.
—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Martin has criticized the Ten Commandments mandate as not just a violation of American precepts but religious ones as well.
—
Christopher Schelin,
The Conversation,
24 Feb. 2026
Kutcher’s character—the richest man in the world, who calls himself The Corporation—has, in defiance of all ethical, legal, and medical precepts, developed The Beauty.
—
Judy Berman,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Shi was also alleged to have committed criminal offenses and violated Buddhist precepts by maintaining relationships with multiple women over a long period and fathering at least one child, according to a notice from the temple’s authority on its WeChat account at that time.
—
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
On May 6, 2026, a historic ceremony was held where a robot received the Buddhist precepts from a monk.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
Yet, their rise did contribute to the prevention of the power of a single individual who would thwart the precepts of the Constitution.
—
Richard Davis,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
But Felder also feared that the attack would provoke unprecedented violence against Palestinians, and believed that being Jewish required adhering to certain moral precepts.
—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Accordingly, the warring factions have competed to depict themselves as the true embodiment of MAGA and paint their rivals as undermining Trump or deviating from his precepts.
—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Martin has criticized the Ten Commandments mandate as not just a violation of American precepts but religious ones as well.
—
Christopher Schelin,
The Conversation,
24 Feb. 2026
Kutcher’s character—the richest man in the world, who calls himself The Corporation—has, in defiance of all ethical, legal, and medical precepts, developed The Beauty.
—
Judy Berman,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precepts
Noun
-
The values imparted to me throughout my public school education — equal opportunity, impartial justice, respect for expertise, basic honesty — have been abandoned by a new breed of politician that has turned governance itself into a blood sport.
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Companies with larger market cap values, such as the top 25 listed below, generally tend to by more stable, while smaller companies can offer higher volatility, but greater growth potential.
Noun
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First, President Dillon asked for existing data centers to be grandfathered in the ordinance, meaning operating data centers can expand without following these rules.
-
Under federal rules, if a complaint about an infant formula — such as a report of an adverse event — shows a possible health hazard, the company must investigate.
Noun
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The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has pledged $250 deposits for accounts belonging to children ages 10 or younger living in Zip codes with median household incomes of $150,000 or less.
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Travelers can also do a quick search for any coupon codes to get airport parking for even less.
Noun
-
Everything in mathematics therefore rests on the axioms, or basic building blocks, of the field.
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One may argue that a more fundamental theory (with more complete axioms) could decide the question, but the final theory should not have undecidable statements.
Noun
-
By now, decades into Americans’ pursuit of cooking as a mainstream hobby, certain maxims have become near-law among food lovers.
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Maybe anyone planning long journeys should take those maxims as advice anyhow.
Noun
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Starting in the late 1950s and accelerating in the 1970s, several states enacted laws that required a date label on certain foods.
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The statement also said Blue Island police are focused on preventing crime, responding to emergencies and enforcing state and local laws, not federal immigration enforcement, as that’s the responsibility of federal agencies.
Cite this Entry
“Precepts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precepts. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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