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
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
Guided by its own creed, Beijing tends to wield economic power according to its own precepts rather than global norms or external expectations.
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
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
Guided by its own creed, Beijing tends to wield economic power according to its own precepts rather than global norms or external expectations.
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precepts
Noun
-
Forecast values calculated by CNBC.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
But now the collapse of values at the top has become untenable.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The Lottery Commission voted Tuesday to authorize regulatory amendments that Executive Director Mark William Bracken said would set rules and regulations for iLottery games.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Supervisors have awarded grants to groups that have run afoul of state rules for charities, and some grants have lacked documentation showing they were properly spent.—
Kristen Taketa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Makes sense that this is a the Mandarin, an Asian group with different codes for luxury.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
Companies can’t hand over important access codes to unsecured AI agents, making cyber a key component of AI infrastructure.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Everything in mathematics therefore rests on the axioms, or basic building blocks, of the field.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
26 May 2026
-
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.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
By now, decades into Americans’ pursuit of cooking as a mainstream hobby, certain maxims have become near-law among food lovers.—
Emily Heil,
Washington Post,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Maybe anyone planning long journeys should take those maxims as advice anyhow.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The policies proposed by the candidates range from eliminating key environmental laws to providing free childcare and college tuition.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
But the way telemedicine is practiced varies widely, and state laws largely dictate rules that telehealth providers must follow.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precepts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precepts. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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