1
as in honorable
following the accepted rules of moral conduct
a high-principled art expert who always told clients what he honestly thought their items were worth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ethical
guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong
a politician widely respected for her principled behavior in every office she ever held
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of principled
Throughout the Comédie humaine, Balzac contrasts Rastignac’s relatively principled personality to that of another climber, Lucien de Rubempré, who accepts Vautrin’s help only to suffer the consequences.
—
Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
That’s the noble and righteous and the principled path sports should walk.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
In theaters Friday after a strong reception at SXSW last month, the genre-scrambling, darkly comic neo-western casts him as Ulysses, a principled small-town sheriff who takes a temporary posting in a sleepy corner of Minnesota called Normal.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Her work must be consistent and principled, fair and independent.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principled
Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
That’s the noble and righteous and the principled path sports should walk.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
In theaters Friday after a strong reception at SXSW last month, the genre-scrambling, darkly comic neo-western casts him as Ulysses, a principled small-town sheriff who takes a temporary posting in a sleepy corner of Minnesota called Normal.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Her work must be consistent and principled, fair and independent.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principled
Adjective
-
Taylor Heinicke signed off on his NFL career Thursday evening, taking to social media to announce his retirement after an honorable seven-season career with five teams.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
The vast majority are honorable and conform their actions to the rules.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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The biggest challenge will be to rebuild the office by recruiting the highest quality staff and attorneys, and establishing an ethical culture of serving the needs of the state rather than an ideological agenda.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
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That’s why Cavadini and others are looking forward to the imminent release of Pope Leo XIV’s first major encyclical, expected to address the growing ethical and moral challenges of artificial intelligence.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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So there is no real secret behind the scenes—just to work, to be honest, to meet personally with the people, to look into their eyes.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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Stability grows through honest and thoughtful adjustments.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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The lead up to this anniversary has happened alongside this looming, all-pervading sense that a revolution — both political and moral — is mounting.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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The conceit also has a moral dimension.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Any respectable Sevillian is an expert in caracoles.—
Miguel Macias,
NPR,
13 May 2026
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No respectable woman would permit such an abomination.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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So naturally, the thought of turning Hypergnosis into an ethical company doesn’t compute, even to a seemingly conscientious person like Harper, who likens Anushka’s vision to buying a jet and asking where the brakes are.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
10 May 2026
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While acknowledging that antisemites may have good characteristics—a loving husband, a generous and conscientious citizen—Sartre claimed that their hatred ultimately defines them.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Principled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principled. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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