/ ˈprɪnsəpl; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C , usually pl. , U ] a moral rule or a strong belief that influences your actions :
He has high moral principles.
I refuse to lie about it; it's against my principles .
Stick to your principles and tell him you won't do it.
She refuses to allow her family to help her as a matter of principle .
He doesn't invest in the arms industry on principle .
2.
[ C ] a law, a rule or a theory that sth is based on :
the principles and practice of writing reports
The principle behind it is very simple.
There are three fundamental principles of teamwork.
Discussing all these details will get us nowhere; we must get back to first principles (= the most basic rules) .
3.
[ C ] a belief that is accepted as a reason for acting or thinking in a particular way :
the principle that free education should be available for all children
4.
[ sing. ] a general or scientific law that explains how sth works or why sth happens :
the principle that heat rises
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IDIOMS
- in principle
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French , from Latin principium source, principia (plural) foundations, from princeps , princip- first, chief.