(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a general belief that you have about the way you should behave, which influences your behaviour.
Buck never allowed himself to be bullied into doing anything that went against his ~s...
It’s not just a matter of ~.
...a man of ~.
N-VAR: usu poss N, adj N, prep N
2.
The ~s of a particular theory or philosophy are its basic rules or laws.
...a violation of the basic ~s of Marxism...
N-COUNT: usu N of n, adj N
3.
Scientific ~s are general scientific laws which explain how something happens or works.
These people lack all understanding of scientific ~s.
N-COUNT: usu adj N, N of n
4.
If you agree with something in ~, you agree in general terms to the idea of it, although you do yet know the details or know if it will be possible.
I agree with it in ~ but I doubt if it will happen in practice.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v
5.
If something is possible in ~, there is no known reason why it should not happen, even though it has not happened before.
Even assuming this to be in ~ possible, it will not be achieved soon.
PHRASE
6.
If you refuse to do something on ~, you refuse to do it because of a particular belief that you have.
He would vote against it on ~...
PHRASE: usu with brd-neg, PHR after v