What does "principle" mean?
A fundamental assumption or guiding belief.
Principle
/ˈpɹɪnsɪpəl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A fundamental assumption or guiding belief.
- Grammar: principle is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: rule, a belief, a priori truth, absolutes.
- Useful contrasts: anarchy, anomaly, chaos.
- Usage evidence: What is the principle reason for going to school?
How to use "principle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "principle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "principle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "principle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "principle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "principle" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "rule" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "principle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A fundamental assumption or guiding belief.
"We need some sort of principles to reason from."
- 2 (law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature) wordnet
- 3 A rule used to choose among solutions to a problem.
"The principle of least privilege holds that a process should only receive the permissions it needs."
- 4 a basic truth or law or assumption wordnet
- 5 Moral rule or aspect.
"I don't doubt your principles."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system wordnet
- 7 A rule or law of nature, or the basic idea on how the laws of nature are applied.
"Bernoulli's principle"
- 8 a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct wordnet
- 9 A fundamental essence, particularly one producing a given quality.
"Many believe that life is the result of some vital principle."
- 10 a rule or standard especially of good behavior wordnet
- 11 A fundamental essence, particularly one producing a given quality.; A chemical compound within plant or animal tissue that is characteristic of it and more or less peculiar to it, such that it defines the character of that tissue from a human viewpoint (as for example nicotine in tobacco).
"the active principle"
- 12 rule of personal conduct wordnet
- 13 A source, or origin; that from which anything proceeds; fundamental substance or energy; primordial substance; ultimate element, or cause.
"The soul of man is an active principle."
- 14 An original faculty or endowment.
"those active principles whose direct and ultimate object is the communication either of enjoyment or suffering"
- 15 Misspelling of principal. alt-of, misspelling
- 16 A beginning. obsolete
"Doubting sad end of principle unsound."
Verb
- 1 To equip with principles; to establish, or fix, in certain principles; to impress with any tenet or rule of conduct. transitive
"Let an enthusiast be principled that he or his teacher is inspired."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"What is the principle reason for going to school?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "principle"?
Common synonyms include: rule, a belief, a priori truth, absolutes, abstract only, abstract value.
How do you use "principle" in a sentence?
What is the principle reason for going to school?
How do you pronounce "principle"?
Pronounced /ˈpɹɪnsɪpəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English principle, from Old French principe, from Latin prīncipium (“beginning, foundation”), from prīnceps (“first”). By surface analysis, prīmus (“first”) + -ceps (“catcher”); the former ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- (“before”); see also prince.