Synonyms of principle

principle

noun

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

• rule
• law
• standard
• value
• belief
• tenet
• theory
• precept
• moral
• hypothesis
• proposition
• norm
• axiom
• basis
• doctrine
• thesis
• truism
• dogma
• foundation
• gospel
• verity
• inference
• declaration
• assertion
• canon
• dictum
• affirmation
• deduction
• assumption
• conclusion
• premise
• ground
• presumption
• presupposition
• postulate
• hypothetical
• given
• supposition
• if
• avouchment
• ipse dixit

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of principle

But the principle also applies beyond retail—from concentrating bank-branch expertise on complex financial decisions to reserving B2B demonstration centers for solutions that are difficult to evaluate remotely. — Ayşe Çetinel, Harvard Business Review, 18 Aug. 2026

The organizing principle of these projects must be mutual benefit, expressed as two-way flows of capacity. — Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Registering with one communicates membership in that community — something many people understandably interpret as support for its principles. — Ethan Hicks, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026

Sailaway Deserves Attention Too The same principle applies when leaving port. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026