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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of principled
At great risk to its business, Anthropic is taking a principled stand in the face of threats from the administration to commandeer its cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology.
—
Editorial Board, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2026
By anchoring every service in data, oversight, and long-term strategy, CR8 Health delivers care that is progressive yet principled—raising expectations for what modern longevity clinics can be.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
But Tobin is too principled to make an infomercial.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
But also, a secure Israel and a secure Jewish people depend on moral and principled leadership of the United States.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principled
Editorial Board, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2026
By anchoring every service in data, oversight, and long-term strategy, CR8 Health delivers care that is progressive yet principled—raising expectations for what modern longevity clinics can be.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
But Tobin is too principled to make an infomercial.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
But also, a secure Israel and a secure Jewish people depend on moral and principled leadership of the United States.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principled
Adjective
-
The result feels less trend-driven and more back-to-basics—in an honorable, sure-of-itself sort of way.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Being conspicuous by his absence is not an honorable action, and will be remembered.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Indeed, a further 18% said being a billionaire was perfectly ethical.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Overall, the property demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental responsibility, ethical labor standards, and cultural preservation.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
At least my mother was more honest.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
-
And to be honest, our offensive rebounding wasn’t poor.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cecilia, or, Memoirs of an Heiress brims with irony, withering dialogue, psychosocial revelation and astute moral inquiry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
With a barrage of information, the grocery store can feel like a moral test.—
Michelle Beadle Holder,
SELF,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the decades before the Civil War, public theater was not generally considered respectable.—
Betsy Golden Kellem,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Variety’s final predictions correctly called 18 of the 24 categories — a respectable 75% success rate — but the larger lesson of the season may be simpler.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Many comments on the video, however, asked to see specifics of where money has been invested, and where conscientious consumers could verify these claims.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Virtually no risk-free approach Even a conscientious employer following the rule and regulatory and judicial interpretation of the rule may have its workplace seating policy second-guessed.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Principled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principled. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
