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English
Wikipedia has articles on: Principle and Principle (chemistry)Etymology
< Old French principe < Latin principium (“‘beginning, foundation’”) < princeps (“‘first’”); see prince.
Pronunciation
Homophones
Noun
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Singular principle |
Plural principles |
principle (plural principles)
- A fundamental assumption.
- We need some sort of principles to reason from.
- 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.
- (generally plural) Moral rule or aspect.
- I don't doubt your principles; you are clearly a person of principle.
- It's the principle of the thing; I won't do business with someone I can't trust.
- (physics) A rule or law of nature, or the basic idea on how the laws of nature are applied.
- Bernoulli's principle
- The Pauli Exclusion Principle prevents two fermions from occupying the same state.
- The principle of the internal combustion engine
- (somewhat dated) A fundamental essence, particularly one producing a given quality.
- Many believe that life is the result of some vital principle.
- Cathartine is the bitter, purgative principle of senna. — Gregory.
- (obsolete) A beginning.
- Doubting sad end of principle unsound. — Spenser.
Usage notes
Principle (moral rule) is often confused with principal (most important.) Consult both definitions if in doubt.
The confused may care to remember that 'The principal alphabetic principle places A before E' as a reminder of the relative spelling.
Synonyms
- (moral rule or aspect) tenet
Derived terms
Derived terms
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Related terms
External links
- principle in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- principle in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
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