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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of principled
America is hurtling toward the loss of its democratic institutions and the establishment of an authoritarian state where there will be no civil discussion of these issues at all: That’s what a principled opposition must fight with its full might.
—
Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
For students to see not only an institution taking a principled stand against the government of the day but for that stand to be made in Cambridge is deeply meaningful.
—Marybeth Gasman, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
For progressives concerned about unchecked presidential authority, this offers a rare opportunity for principled cross-partisan agreement.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
But Miller's critics contend his battle against food inspections and regulation isn’t about making some principled stand against government overreach.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principled
Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
For students to see not only an institution taking a principled stand against the government of the day but for that stand to be made in Cambridge is deeply meaningful.
—Marybeth Gasman, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
For progressives concerned about unchecked presidential authority, this offers a rare opportunity for principled cross-partisan agreement.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
But Miller's critics contend his battle against food inspections and regulation isn’t about making some principled stand against government overreach.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principled
Adjective
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Court documents show Blankenship has been employed by the city since 2006 following his honorable discharge from the Coast Guard.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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White Painted Woman was a model of heroism and honorable womanhood: When evil monsters were hunting the Apache people, the White Painted Woman gave birth to a son who would destroy the creatures to help make Earth inhabitable for humanity.—
Alejandra Rubio,
NPR,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Despite all of that, as the legislature enters the final weeks of its spring session, strengthening the state’s ethical safeguards doesn’t appear to be anywhere near the top of the agenda in Springfield.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
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His relationship evolved from setting firm boundaries to setting ethical guardrails, offering context, and supporting his autonomy with curiosity and love.—
Rebekah Bastian,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This was an honest error and was not intentional in any way.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2025
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But only if leaders have the appetite for that kind of honest data.—
Aparna Rae,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Eighty years since the end of World War II, Amsterdam’s mayor apologized for the city’s role in the persecution of its Jewish residents during the Holocaust, in a rare acknowledgment of a collective moral failure by a city leader.—
Anupreeta Das,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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Trump himself has suggested moral equivalence between the two sides, claiming Ukraine was at fault for provoking the war, that President Zelensky was illegitimate and that the U.S. should recognize Russia’s annexations of Ukrainian territory.—
Eric Green,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At least the fielding has looked respectable (ninth in defensive efficiency) and the pitching staff mostly holds its own.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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The definitions of what’s crazy, what’s malicious, what’s polite, normal, and respectable all lost some of their force.—
Michael Brendan Dougherty,
National Review,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That dissonance is a function of how eating less meat has been wrapped in a conscientious and moral sheen.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2025
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Emily is a conscientious worker who is constantly evaluating her performance and setting ever higher goals.—
Heide Janssen,
Orange County Register,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Principled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principled. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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