principleprin‧ci‧ple /ˈprɪnsəpəl/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL noun 
Schools try to teach children a set of principles. He’s got no principles at all! It’s against my principles to accept gifts from clients.2idea behind something [countable] the basic idea that a plan or system is based on: The general principle is that education should be available to all children up to the age of 16.basic/fundamental/guiding principle the basic principles of business managementprinciple of the principles of French lawprinciple that Reflexology is based on the principle that specific areas on the feet correspond to different parts of the body.on a principle The project worked on the principle that each person’s experience was equally valuable.principle behind the principles behind government policies He called for a return to first principles (=the most important ideas) of road safety for children. Similar principles apply in the case of older children (=the principles are the same as others that have been mentioned).3in principle a)if something is possible in principle, there is no good reason why it should not happen, but it has not actually happened yet SYN theoretically: In principle, the new software should make the accounting system a lot simpler. b)if you agree to something in principle, you agree about a general plan or idea but have not yet considered the details: They have accepted the idea in principle. The government has agreed in principle to a referendum.4rules of a process [countable] a rule which explains the way something such as a machine works, or which explains a natural force in the universe: Archimedes’ principleprinciple of the basic principles of physics ► Do not confuse the noun principle with the noun and adjective principal: a former principal of the college | her principal tasksCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1adjectivesstrict principles· Rosa is a woman of strict moral principles.strong principles (=that someone believes in very strongly)· a man of strong principleshigh principles (=strong beliefs about right and wrong)· Dunn's high principles and pleasant manner won him the real affection of his colleagues.moral principles· Criminal law should be used to protect and reinforce moral principles.religious/political principles· Doesn’t working on Sunday conflict with your religious principles?socialist principles· Would he stick to his socialist principles after being elected prime minister?verbshave principles· I may have no money and no power but I have principles.stick to your principles (=act according to them, even when this is difficult)· Throughout this time, he stuck to his principles and spoke out against injustice.betray/compromise your principles (=do something that is against your principles)· I knew I could lie to help him, but it would be betraying my principles.abandon your principles (=stop believing in them or trying to act by them)· It has been said that he abandoned his basic political principles while he was in power.phrasesbe against somebody’s principles· It’s against my principles to eat meat.as a matter of principle (=because of moral beliefs about right and wrong)· As a matter of principle one should never yield to terrorism.a man/woman of principle (=someone with strong moral ideas)· He is the only candidate who has demonstrated that he is a man of principle.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2adjectivesa general/broad principle· He explained the general principles of the constitution.an important principle· One important principle is that you should give yourself plenty of reward for your success.a basic/fundamental principle (=a very important principle to which other ideas are added)· Applicants should show that they understand the basic principles of marketing.a guiding principle (=a principle that helps you decide what to do)· Fairness is the guiding principle.first principles (=the most basic ideas that something is based on)· The researchers went back to first principles.verbsbe based on a principle· A good education ought to be based on multicultural principles.a principle applies· The same principle applies to all kinds of selling.the principle underlying something· What are the principles underlying this form of treatment?establish a principle (=make it accepted)· Establish the principle that when your office door is shut you must not be disturbed.lay down a principle (=describe a principle and make it accepted)· The report lays down general principles for the teaching of English.
WORD ORIGINprinciple
Origin:
1300-1400 French principe, from Latin principium ‘beginning’, from princeps; ➔ PRINCEEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- He'll do anything to make money. The man has no principles.
- The principles governing the world of physics are unchanging.
- However that may be, let us look at Moore's principle at work in one of his examples.
- I have structured the book to give you a similar experience, particularly with respect to the ten new management principles.
- In principle, a planning authority can only grant what is actually applied for or a part of it.
- In this way, the principle of induction is justified.
- Might it then be that the preserving of two viable copies is what is impossible in principle?
- That episcopal ordination made one a member of the episcopal college was accepted in principle by the second session.
- The general rule, as above stated, seems on principle just.
- The latter are intended to offer a set of principles providing the best solutions to typical problems in contract law.
Longman Language Activatoryour personal ideas about what is right or wrong
the inner sense of what is right or wrong that makes you feel guilty if you do something wrong: · Her conscience would not let her take all the credit for their work.guilty/bad conscience: · It was a guilty conscience that made him admit stealing the money.clear/good conscience: · Marie got up especially early to do all her work so that she could enjoy herself afterwards with a clear conscience.social/political etc conscience (=a moral sense of how society should be): · He was a man of strong social conscience, who actively campaigned against poverty in all its forms.conscience-stricken (=feeling guilty because you have done something wrong): · She hurried home, conscience-stricken about having left all the dishes for Natalie to do.
personal moral principles that stop you from doing something morally wrong - use this especially about someone who does not have moral principles: · He is very ambitious and has absolutely no scruples.· These large drug syndicates are not affected by moral scruples -- they just want to make a profit.
strong ideas about what is morally right and wrong, that you try to follow in everything that you do: · Jimmy tried to live according to Christian principles.· Does she have any principles at all?against somebody's principles (=morally wrong to that person): · I won't get involved in a deal like this -- it's against all my principles.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 1adjectives We adhere to the principles of equal rights and freedom of expression for all. adherence to democratic principles It’s against my principles to borrow money (=I do not believe it is right). a man of high moral principles Miguel was determined to stick to his decision.
· Rosa is a woman of strict moral principles.
(=that someone believes in very strongly)· a man of strong principles
(=strong beliefs about right and wrong)· Dunn's high principles and pleasant manner won him the real affection of his colleagues.
· Criminal law should be used to protect and reinforce moral principles.
· Doesn’t working on Sunday conflict with your religious principles?
· Would he stick to his socialist principles after being elected prime minister?
verbs· I may have no money and no power but I have principles.
(=act according to them, even when this is difficult)· Throughout this time, he stuck to his principles and spoke out against injustice.
(=do something that is against your principles)· I knew I could lie to help him, but it would be betraying my principles.
(=stop believing in them or trying to act by them)· It has been said that he abandoned his basic political principles while he was in power.
phrases· It’s against my principles to eat meat.
(=because of moral beliefs about right and wrong)· As a matter of principle one should never yield to terrorism.
(=someone with strong moral ideas)· He is the only candidate who has demonstrated that he is a man of principle.
Meaning 2adjectives· He explained the general principles of the constitution.
· One important principle is that you should give yourself plenty of reward for your success.
(=a very important principle to which other ideas are added)· Applicants should show that they understand the basic principles of marketing.
(=a principle that helps you decide what to do)· Fairness is the guiding principle.
(=the most basic ideas that something is based on)· The researchers went back to first principles.
verbs· A good education ought to be based on multicultural principles.
· The same principle applies to all kinds of selling.
· What are the principles underlying this form of treatment?
(=make it accepted)· Establish the principle that when your office door is shut you must not be disturbed.
(=describe a principle and make it accepted)· The report lays down general principles for the teaching of English.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES We adhere to the principles of equal rights and freedom of expression for all. adherence to democratic principles It’s against my principles to borrow money (=I do not believe it is right).· The basic principles underlying all the systems are the same.
· The government says the plans will not compromise its environmental principles.
(=the ideas and aims that it is based on)· the guiding legal principles of the constitution
(=moral rules or beliefs about what is right and wrong)· Let me state a couple of fundamental principles which we value highly.
a man of high moral principles· Has there been a decline in moral standards in our society?
Miguel was determined to stick to his decision.· Their actions, he argued, went against the underlying principles of Christian morality.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· The author focuses in on very basic principles, which makes this book easy to read, even by first time users.· The basic principle of diversity of media ownership and freedom of entry should serve as an essential guideline for national media policy.· Has this neglect of basic business principles destroyed the credibility of all online business ventures?· It does, however, present the basic legal principles surrounding the creation and termination of teaching contracts.· The basic principles set out in this Code will apply whether or not the lending in question is secured.· In addition, through these lessons, students become familiar with basic principles of science.· However, the basic structural principle remains, and the primary constituents are present: air, humus, bacteria and moisture.· The basic principle behind all the various systems is that of the x, y co-ordinate.
· Certainly there may be situations and organizations for which the democratic principle is inappropriate.· The democratic principle is one person one vote, as is the principle of statistical analysis.· Young people have not been taught any democratic principles or told about the constitution.· Is it the best that can be achieved, the nearest practicable approximation to the democratic principle?
· Make this point firmly, because the idea of anxiety-reduction with repeated exposure is one of the fundamental principles of the course.· Who had persuaded the other to defect, to betray his fundamental principles in the name of personal loyalty?· The female nude has been conceived as an expression of fundamental principles of order and design.· A fundamental principle of treatment is to first diagnose the cause of the hypophosphatemia.· Again, the fundamental principles of the peer group would not be compromised if monitoring roles were rotated.· Netanyahu, on the other hand, has been struggling with the fundamental principles of accords he has long opposed.· The pleasure principle would then be seen as one form of the more fundamental Nirvana principle.· Doesn't that imply a belief in intrinsic essences that is in direct contradiction with the fundamental principles of existentialism?
· A number of well-established general principles were accepted as regulating precedence.· In general the principles depend on cleanliness and appropriateness of animals to their habitats.· This book is based on the view that the general principles of judicial review of administrative action are worth studying.· As a general principle, hasty legislation does more harm than good.· It will also seek to establish any general principles connected with successful schemes of joint consultation.· What we can do is understand some of the general principles of how living things work, and why they exist at all.· Several applications of this general principle will be found in the ensuing chapters.· Beneath the law of involuntary manslaughter lie some deep issues of general principle.
· That principle is the guiding principle in the assessment of damages in personal injuries cases.· The guiding principles then of etymology and precedent would not be acceptable today.· They are the guiding principle in his life and work and must be clearly visible in any evaluation.· It is guiding principle, abiding truth.· The guiding principle is that our minds are more active when we view with a purpose.· Our guiding principle remains our commitment to the Total Quality Management process.· But it is to suggest that an image of perennial conflict between science and religion is inappropriate as a guiding principle.· Some guiding principles are beyond doubt.
· The most important of these principles are briefly set out below.· Though there is no record of this power being exercised, this is an important amendment of principle.· But even if the proposals prove sufficiently acceptable, important questions of principle will remain unresolved.· This is an important principle when moving together on steep snow.· The governing body's decision was guided by three very important considerations: principle, existing practice, and time.· These immigration laws established two important principles of future immigration policy.· It was an important principle that these housing schemes should pay their way.· In structure drills as well as in pronunciation drills there is one important principle: drill one thing at a time.
· The process by which legal principles are established is pre-eminently political.· It does, however, present the basic legal principles surrounding the creation and termination of teaching contracts.· Where matters of law and equity conflict, the principle of equity applicable prevails over the legal principle in the case.· The legal principles that apply to teachers whose negligence causes injury are the same as those that apply to anyone else.· Having said that, most cases turn on their facts and not on points of legal principle.· First, the Court outlined the legal principles to be applied.· In no case has the legal principle been sacrificed to a thoughtful new policy on criminal justice.· In resolving these conflicts, the courts establish legal principles that apply to similar cases.
· A sanitary code which sought to evade fundamental moral principles could never ultimately succeed.· Two, can you come up with some moral principle, some ethical issue that is so important it justifies deception?· To some there may be occasion to place a moral principle above a legal one.· Her work, and her person, came to symbolize the moral and intellectual principles on which the open admissions experiment rested.· I do not think that we should be against such moral principles.· They would rather get beaten on their moral principles and convictions than be corrupted by political deals.· There is no single moral principle which is sole and supreme and can never conflict with any other.· By the mid-nineties, many adolescents had no answer when asked what moral principles might apply to a particular circumstance.
NOUN· After this encounter Einstein gave up his specific attempts to undermine the uncertainty principle.· It has been noted that the quantum limit has its origin in the following expression of the uncertainty principle.· Real togetherness Einstein licked his wounds after his long drawn out battle with Bohr about the uncertainty principle.· The Heisenberg uncertainty principle tells us that.· Einstein's general relativity is what is called a classical theory; that is, it does not incorporate the uncertainty principle.· One therefore has to find a new theory that combines general relativity with the uncertainty principle.· The human brain, however, is also subject to the uncertainty principle.· The effects of the uncertainty principle will then become very important and seem to point to some remarkable results.
VERB· That episcopal ordination made one a member of the episcopal college was accepted in principle by the second session.· Under generally accepted accounting principles, companies may use straight-line or one of the accelerated methods of depreciation for financial accounting purposes.· The term generally accepted accounting principles is somewhat debatable in the field of financial accounting.· Once Asquith had accepted the principle of state-financed pensions he had to decide to whom they should be paid.· To his great credit, he persuaded the brewery companies to accept the principle of independent arbitration.· He has accepted it in principle, which does him great credit.· Councillors yesterday accepted the idea in principle after a presentation by Homesmith.
· No doubt both men, as supporters of the Gothic Revival, expected Scott to adhere to his stated principles.· We adhere to this principle for two reasons.· Finally, they adhered to the principle of Contrast in distinguishing less from more.
· Whether or not we agree with the principles or validity of church laws and rules, many of our clients will accept them.· I had to agree with him in principle.· We have often found people will nod and agree to the principles but never put them into practice.· Within a week they had agreed, in principle, to be partners.· Whether Curran and Seaton would agree with the principles that lie behind the above proposals is very doubtful.· General Mladic had also agreed in principle to open a corridor to Cerska.· The cessation of hostilities was agreed in principle.
· If magistrates no longer apply the natural principles of justice, it is a bad day for our law.· We applied the same principles that would apply to these securities regardless of who issued them.· In short, you will he required to apply the principles of thinking on a regular and systematic basis.· This chapter examines how the courts have applied these principles in cases involving teachers.· Best execution will also apply in principle to agency and other fiduciary transactions for non-private customers.· The same applies to the other principles.· So far, legislation has been passed to apply this principle only to packaging.· Manovich is confident he can apply the same sales principles for computers to software.
· Community-policing arrangements Community policing is based on the principle of a working partnership between the police and local community.· But Aristotle did not conceive of natural laws based on mathematical principles.· Safrane's front and rear suspension are based on the MacPherson principle and benefit from programmed movement.· Around 25 experimental Aids vaccines based on this principle are on trial globally.· It was based upon two principles: 1.· Alter all, citation indexes are based on that principle.· Lithography a printing process based on the principle of the natural aversion of water to grease.
· They can do this by establishing clear guiding principles against which all actions need to be evaluated.· Quintilian was one who credited Zeuxis with having established painterly principles of light and shade.· The convention establishes the principle that nothing that is harmful to human health and marine life can be dumped at sea.· In resolving these conflicts, the courts establish legal principles that apply to similar cases.· The research nurses are establishing the principle that the rigid compartments of the medical profession are not as watertight as they appear.· Although not intransigent, Wash was clearly uneasy about the specific link with Bedfordshire as the precedent to establish a principle.· As some observers noted, the new regulation establishes the principle that environmental concerns take precedence over commercial arguments.· It will also seek to establish any general principles connected with successful schemes of joint consultation.
· This follows the same principles as a tin-streaming operation.· Surprisingly, the language problems produced by other forms of damage do not necessarily follow these principles derived from stroke patients.· The companies that follow this principle often don't shout about it, but they are easy to recognise.· Bormann followed the simple principle of always remaining in the closest proximity to the source of all grace and favor.· But how mud is used will differ from one climate to another, following the cardinal principle of traditional architecture.· Again, President Herrera had not insisted on the death penalty but had followed a principle of justice tempered with mercy.· This follows the same principles as the Crown Scheme but for self-catering accommodation.
· His presidency lacked an over-arching theme or a guiding principle.· Although controversies still abound, there are some guiding principles for the conduct of daily schooling.· The group's approach was guided by two principles.· If that was the guiding principle of Salomon Brothers in the department of customer relations, then all was suddenly clear.· He brought starkly into question all the guiding principles on which the Soviet system was based.· Almost all Davidson products work on the guiding principle that education comes easier if disguised as a game.· They take as their guiding principle that they will safeguard this right. 37.· Considering the views of those proven achievers helps drive an even greater wedge between centralization and decentralization as a guiding organizational principle.
· She was not to know that Tina, sticking to her principles, had long ago slept with her cousin Jarvis.· But we have to stick to our principles.· What a revolution there would be in our behaviour and attitudes if we were to stick to those two principles!· Nizan stuck to his principles, but after 1939 he became a political refugee.· Eddi Reader is one who sticks to the principles established in her old band Fairground Attraction.· On receiving the petition demanding Outram's resignation they stuck to the principle of laissez-faire.· Had I stuck to my principles or had I simply followed orders?· May we come to respect ourselves for sticking to our principles and living our lives with honesty and integrity.
· All nurses must understand the principles involved in order to safeguard patients.· It is helpful therefore to look at the pre-1991 case law to understand how the welfare principle operates in practice.· However, it is necessary to understand the principles of remote sensing in order to make intelligent and informed use of remotely-sensed data.· In order to do this, we have to employ a method of understanding rooted in scientific principles that are universally accepted.· Ramsey thought it a protection against wrongful ceremony to understand its principles.· We can begin to understand this vital principle when we reflect on how we have been emotionally wounded in the past.· You need to understand tides and principles of navigation.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► betray your beliefs/principles/ideals etc► the KISS principle► underlying cause/principle/problem etc
1moral rule [countable, uncountable] a moral rule or belief about what is right and wrong, that influences how you behave: - Many people who support the First Amendment in principle want to restrict free speech in certain situations.
- The government has agreed in principle to hold elections next year.
- Freedom of speech for all is one of the governing principles in a democracy.
- But the same three macro-functions are the governing principles of stylistic choice in both literary and non-literary language.
- Complex protocol demanded that Court dress conform to a set of governing principles.
- Just as a ship needs a captain, so too does the individual need a governing principle.
- Although controversies still abound, there are some guiding principles for the conduct of daily schooling.
- Competition, time-serving, jockeying for advantage, and avoiding blame were the new guiding principles.
- His presidency lacked an over-arching theme or a guiding principle.
- Prudence would be the guiding principle.
- That principle is the guiding principle in the assessment of damages in personal injuries cases.
- The guiding principle of the Okapi research is that the system must adapt itself to the user rather than the converse.
- They can do this by establishing clear guiding principles against which all actions need to be evaluated.
- They take as their guiding principle that they will safeguard this right. 37.
- He believed genuinely in high principles and aims even if he was not yet assured of a sense of perspective.
- Henry Lunn, one of the major figures of the early days of organized travel, was also inspired by high ideals.
- Her virginity is one of the highest ideals in Catholicism.
- The war, the president insists, is about higher principles than control of a grubby liquid in the ground.
- They put short-term expediency and selfish interest before the application of high principles.
- Though it created problems in times of political crisis, it was the price one had to pay for pursuing high ideals.
- What we worship these days is financial success, as though it automatically confers high principles and admirable character.
- Dessert is a matter of principle here.
- First, there are matters of principle.
- It seemed, as much as anything, to be a matter of principle.
- It was a matter of principle.
- They might have gone higher but this is a matter of principle.
- A man true to his word.
- But true to his word, before I left, my uncle gave me help.
- Jim, true to his word, may be the man to fix it after all.
- Otto had been true to his word and left out for me a pair of boy's shorts.
- The captain was true to his word.
- The Characters A young girl: Lazy but true to her word.
- We have been true to our word and true to our mission because of your skill and professionalism.
- Gamekeepers worked on the principle that any other animals that preyed on pheasants must be ruthlessly eliminated.
- It works on the assumption that each side is willing to move from its starting point during the negotiations.
- It works on the principle that the pursuer will not be able to change direction as efficiently as the prey.
- Politicians seem to work on the assumption that the early bird catches the voter.
- The therapy works on the principle that like cures like.
- These devices work on the principle that the oscillating frequency of a crystal under an applied voltage changes with crystal mass.
- They work on the principle that most people pay up if they're pestered for long enough.
- When a crime is reported to the police they do not work on the assumption that anyone could have done it.
Schools try to teach children a set of principles. He’s got no principles at all! It’s against my principles to accept gifts from clients.2idea behind something [countable] the basic idea that a plan or system is based on: The general principle is that education should be available to all children up to the age of 16.basic/fundamental/guiding principle the basic principles of business managementprinciple of the principles of French lawprinciple that Reflexology is based on the principle that specific areas on the feet correspond to different parts of the body.on a principle The project worked on the principle that each person’s experience was equally valuable.principle behind the principles behind government policies He called for a return to first principles (=the most important ideas) of road safety for children. Similar principles apply in the case of older children (=the principles are the same as others that have been mentioned).3in principle a)if something is possible in principle, there is no good reason why it should not happen, but it has not actually happened yet SYN theoretically: In principle, the new software should make the accounting system a lot simpler. b)if you agree to something in principle, you agree about a general plan or idea but have not yet considered the details: They have accepted the idea in principle. The government has agreed in principle to a referendum.4rules of a process [countable] a rule which explains the way something such as a machine works, or which explains a natural force in the universe: Archimedes’ principleprinciple of the basic principles of physics ► Do not confuse the noun principle with the noun and adjective principal: a former principal of the college | her principal tasksCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1adjectivesstrict principles· Rosa is a woman of strict moral principles.strong principles (=that someone believes in very strongly)· a man of strong principleshigh principles (=strong beliefs about right and wrong)· Dunn's high principles and pleasant manner won him the real affection of his colleagues.moral principles· Criminal law should be used to protect and reinforce moral principles.religious/political principles· Doesn’t working on Sunday conflict with your religious principles?socialist principles· Would he stick to his socialist principles after being elected prime minister?verbshave principles· I may have no money and no power but I have principles.stick to your principles (=act according to them, even when this is difficult)· Throughout this time, he stuck to his principles and spoke out against injustice.betray/compromise your principles (=do something that is against your principles)· I knew I could lie to help him, but it would be betraying my principles.abandon your principles (=stop believing in them or trying to act by them)· It has been said that he abandoned his basic political principles while he was in power.phrasesbe against somebody’s principles· It’s against my principles to eat meat.as a matter of principle (=because of moral beliefs about right and wrong)· As a matter of principle one should never yield to terrorism.a man/woman of principle (=someone with strong moral ideas)· He is the only candidate who has demonstrated that he is a man of principle.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2adjectivesa general/broad principle· He explained the general principles of the constitution.an important principle· One important principle is that you should give yourself plenty of reward for your success.a basic/fundamental principle (=a very important principle to which other ideas are added)· Applicants should show that they understand the basic principles of marketing.a guiding principle (=a principle that helps you decide what to do)· Fairness is the guiding principle.first principles (=the most basic ideas that something is based on)· The researchers went back to first principles.verbsbe based on a principle· A good education ought to be based on multicultural principles.a principle applies· The same principle applies to all kinds of selling.the principle underlying something· What are the principles underlying this form of treatment?establish a principle (=make it accepted)· Establish the principle that when your office door is shut you must not be disturbed.lay down a principle (=describe a principle and make it accepted)· The report lays down general principles for the teaching of English.