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
Back in 2016, Armani held a meeting to outline what would happen following his death, establishing new statutes for the group and dictating the principles that would define the future of the company.
—
Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
In 1832, the British physicist Michael Faraday discovered the operating principle for electromagnetic generators and motors.
—Alan Lightman
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
The standoff comes as the EBU faces mounting pressure to balance its membership rules, which entitle all active members to compete, with calls from broadcasters to uphold principles around human rights and press freedom.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
What might a computer interface based on those principles look like?
—Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principle
Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
In 1832, the British physicist Michael Faraday discovered the operating principle for electromagnetic generators and motors.
—Alan Lightman
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
The standoff comes as the EBU faces mounting pressure to balance its membership rules, which entitle all active members to compete, with calls from broadcasters to uphold principles around human rights and press freedom.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
What might a computer interface based on those principles look like?
—Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principle
Noun
-
See rules for Competitive Wordle toward the end of this post.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The Spanish competition’s salary limit rules basically set the amount of money teams are allowed to spend on player’s wages.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Since many of Yiwu's products don't meet EU compliance standards, that limits how much businesses can sell to Europe, Monga said.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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Roads, bridges, power grids, and water systems fueled industrialization and lifted living standards.—
Maurice Obeid,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Raise the stakes for farmers There have been calls not just to hold farmers more accountable for H-2A violations, but also to reward the ones who comply with labor laws.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
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As lieutenant governor, Duncan backed policies expanding healthcare in rural communities and helped pass the state’s first hate crimes law.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Which enterprise strategies will unlock the most value as organizations race to move from experimentation to full-scale adoption?—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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There was also plenty of fluff, not really containing enough nutritional value to be called word salad.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Principle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principle. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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