What is the principle reason for going to school?
Source: tatoeba (21594)
Principle
/ˈpɹɪnsɪpəl/
Synonyms for "principle" (392 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (79)
Noun(29 words)
ruleabsolutesabstract onlyacademic guidelineaccessibility conceptagency ruleajaiaalgebra conceptapothegmarianrodaxiomaxiomsbe preparedbiology conceptbiology conceptsbusiness policycanon law doctrinecanonscell ideacircuit concept
Show 9 more words
city policycivil law doctrineclassroom conceptcommandmentscomprehensioncomputer science conceptconcept in physics educationconservation of angular momentumcosmology concept
a beliefa priori truthactivityambitionantecedentantecedentsarticle of faithaspirationassumptionat bottomattitudeaxiombasebasementbasicallybasisbearing wallbedbeddingbedrock
Show 19 more words
Adjective(9 words)
abstract valueacademic conceptanatomical conceptbasic scientific conceptbiological conceptcentral valuecivil procedure conceptcomputing conceptcore idea
Interjection(1 words)
Verb(1 words)
conserve resources
Strong matches (117)
Noun(29 words)
criminal-law conceptdata conceptsdesign conceptdesign guidelinedictatesdictumsdoctrinesdogmasecology conceptecology term concepteconomics conceptenergy accounting ruleengineering principleequality fraternityethical principleethics guidelineethrilgeneral rulego straightgoverning rules
Show 9 more words
grammar ruleguidelineguidelinesheuristic ruleidealskindness matterskuenlunlaw doctrinelaw of energy conservation
criterioncrusadedeterminantdeterminativedictatedictumdoctrinedogmadriveelementelementselixiressenceessentialessentiallyethicetiologyfactorfaithfloor
Show 50 more words
flooringflowerfocusfondfootingformformalityformulaformularyfoundationfundamentfundamentalfundamentallyfundamentalsgeneral principlegistgivengoalgolden rulegrammargravamengreat causegroundgroundsgroundworkguideguidelineguiding lightguiding principleguiding starhardpanhearthonestyhypostasisideaidealideallyimperativein essencein theoryinner essenceinspirationintegrityintentioninterestissuekernelkeystonelawlaw of nature
Adjective(16 words)
current policydirect ruleeconomic concepteducational concepteducational theoryelectrical conceptethical standardfull inclusionfundamental physical lawgeneral chemistry conceptgeometric conceptguiding ruleguiding standardhorticultural conceptitalian civile conceptskey tenet
Verb(2 words)
earn respectignore rules guideline
Related words (196)
Noun(66 words)
learning conceptslegal conceptlessonlife science conceptlinguistics conceptlodestarsmachine learning conceptmadsmantramath conceptmath rulemathematics conceptsmaximsmeteorology conceptmoral foundationmoral from historymoral valuemore conceptualmore is betternatures
Show 46 more words
none chosennormoccampeireskiaphysical science conceptsphysics conceptphysics conceptspoliciespolicypolicy conceptpolicy directivepolicy term basedpolitical conceptpostulatespreceptpreceptsprincipenproduce deterministic valuesprogramming conceptrationalerule of thirdsrulesscience conceptsociology conceptstandardstare decisisstay the coursesustainability criteriataotenettenetsthe policythe valuetheory changedtheory of constitutionalismthermodynamics conceptto valuevaluevalue highlyvalue honestyveritiesverityvisual aidwatchwordswhat matterswriting concept
lifeworklodestarmainspringmarrowmass movementmattermaximmeatmitzvahmodelmoralmoralitymoralsmotivemottomovementnitty grittynormnormanotion
Show 83 more words
nubnucleusnuts and boltsoccasionorder of natureordinancepavementphilosophypithpoint of viewpositionpostulatepreceptprescribed formprescriptionprincipiumprinciplesprobityprocrustean lawpropositionpurposequidquiddityquintessenceradicalreasonreason for beingrectituderegulationripraprock bottomrubricrudimentrudimentsrulesakesapscoreseatself-evident truthsentimentset formsettled principlesillsolid groundsolid rocksoulsourcespiritspringstandardstanding orderstereobatestimulusstuffstylobatesubstancesubstratumsubstructionsubstructureteachingtenetterra firmathe nitty-grittytheoremtheoreticallytruismtruthulterior motiveunderbuildingundercarriageundergirdingunderpinningunderstructionunderstructureuniversal lawuniversal truthuprightnessusageviewpointvocationworking principleworking rule
Adjective(21 words)
logical conceptmathematical propertymathematical rulenonphysical objectsnormative rulenorwegian frihetorganizational conceptoverall directionpolitical history conceptreligious conceptrevolutionary bannersscientific conceptscientific conceptsscientific ideascientific lawscientific physical lawscientific principlesmall deformation rulestatistical concepttranscendental
Show 1 more word
urban planning concept
Determiner(3 words)
most governingmost political policythe rules
Verb(3 words)
qualify a blanket rulestay on coursestays the course
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: rule, a belief, a priori truth, absolutes, abstract only.
- Sentence evidence is available for principle, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "principle".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "principle"
Keep "principle" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "principle" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "principle", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "principle" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesconceptexplanationgeneralisationgeneralitygeneralizationlawlaw of naturenatural lawnormprescriptrulevalue
More specific
4 entriesacademic principlemoral principlesafety principlescientific principle
Collocations
5 entriesbasic principleguiding principlemoral principlescientific principleunderlying principle
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
29 total sentences available.
A good theory is characterized by the fact that it makes a number of predictions that could in principle be disproved or falsified by observation.
Source: tatoeba (30000)
That doesn't accord with my principle.
Source: tatoeba (42368)
That is the principle problem next to education.
Source: tatoeba (42513)
Showing 4 of 29 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "principle"?
Closest matches include rule, a belief, a priori truth, absolutes, abstract only.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "principle"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.