Dictionary Definition
principle
Noun
1 a basic generalization that is accepted as true
and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct; "their
principles of composition characterized all their works" [syn:
rule]
2 a rule or standard especially of good behavior;
"a man of principle"; "he will not violate his principles"
3 a basic truth or law or assumption; "the
principles of democracy"
4 a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon
or the function of a complex system; "the principle of the
conservation of mass"; "the principle of jet propulsion"; "the
right-hand rule for inductive fields" [syn: rule]
5 rule of personal conduct [syn: precept]
6 (law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons
(especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms
of laws of nature); "the rationale for capital punishment"; "the
principles of internal-combustion engines" [syn: rationale]
User Contributed Dictionary
Pronunciation
- /ˈprɪnsɪpəl/ or /ˈprɪnsəpəl/
Homophones
Noun
- 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.
- In the context of "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.
- I don't doubt your principles; you are clearly a person of
principle.
- 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
- The Pauli Exclusion Principle prevents two fermions from occupying the same state.
- Bernoulli's
principle
- In the context of "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.
- Many believe that life is the result of some vital principle.
- 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
Related terms
Translations
fundamental assumption
rule to solve a problem
- Finnish: periaate
- French: principe
- Hebrew:
- Japanese: 主義, 原則
- Portuguese: princípio
- Russian: принцип
moral rule or aspect
- Czech: zásada
- Finnish: periaate, prinsiippi
- French: principe
- Hebrew:
- Japanese: qualifier general 主義, 信念; qualifier for an organization 行動指針
- Kurdish:
- Portuguese: princípio
- Russian: принцип
rule of nature
- Czech: princip
- Finnish: periaate, laki, toimintaperiaate
- French: principe
- Hebrew:
- Japanese: 原理
- Portuguese: princípio
- ttbc Chinese: 原則, 原则 (yuánzé)
- ttbc Dutch: principe
- ttbc German: Prinzip (1, 2), Prinzipien p (3)
- ttbc Interlingua: principio
- ttbc Italian: principio
- ttbc Korean: 원리 (wolli) (1, 2)
- ttbc Latin: principium
- ttbc Norwegian: prinsipp
- ttbc Polish: zasada (on principle = dla zasady; in principle = w zasadzie)
- ttbc Spanish: principio
- ttbc Indonesian: prinsip
See also
- anthropic principle
- Aufbau principle
- Bernoulli's principle
- correspondence principle
- Dilbert principle
- equivalence principle
- first principles
- Le Chatelier's principle
- matter of principle
- on principle
- Peter principle
- precautionary principle
- principle of least action
- principled stance
- uncertainty principle
Extensive Definition
- For the term in chemistry, see principle
(chemistry).
- Not to be confused with principal.
A principle is an abstract
object which signifies a point (or points) of probability on a
subject (e.g., the principle of creativity), which allows for the
formation of rule or
norm or
law by (human) interpretation of the phenomena (events) that can be
created. The rules, norms and laws depend on and co-create a
particular context to formulate. A principle is the underlying part
(or spirit) of the basis for an evolutionary normative or formative
development, which is the object of subjective experience and/or
interpretation. For example, the ethics of someone may be seen as
a set of principles that the individual obeys in the form of rules,
as guidance or law. These principles thus form the basis for such
ethics.
Reducing a rule to its principle says that, for
the purpose at hand, the principle will not / cannot be questioned
or further derived (unless you create new rules). This is a
convenient way of reducing the complexity of an
argumentation.
The point of principle allows to create all
probable versions under its subjective theme, as its reality
creation/evolvement under that subject is open-ended and
unpredictable relying on choice and option. Rules and laws capture
a consensus that certain actions and events will occur under a
principle (or a combination of principles).
A principled view for example, implies that an
individual has a firm understanding of the underlying principle(s)
of events and the rules and laws which govern them inherently and
according to our consensus.
See also
principle in Czech: Princip
principle in Danish: Princip
principle in German: Grundsatz
principle in Spanish: Principio
principle in French: Principe
(philosophie)
principle in Japanese: 原理
principle in Russian: Принцип
principle in Albanian: Parimi
principle in Simple English: Principle
principle in Slovak: Princíp
principle in Finnish: Periaate
principle in Swedish: Princip
principle in Yiddish: פרינציפ
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Procrustean law, a belief, a priori truth,
activity, ambition, antecedents, article of
faith, aspiration, at
bottom, attitude,
axiom, base, basement, basically, basis, bearing wall, bed, bedding, bedrock, belief, brocard, call, calling, campaign, canon, causation, cause, cause and effect, center, code, commandment, commitment, conscience, consideration, convention, core, credo, creed, criterion, crusade, determinant, determinative, dictate, dictum, doctrine, dogma, drive, element, elements, elixir, essence, essential, essentially, ethic, etiology, factor, faith, floor, flooring, flower, focus, fond, footing, form, formality, formula, formulary, foundation, fundament, fundamental, fundamentally, fundamentals, general
principle, gist, given, goal, golden rule, grammar, gravamen, great cause, ground, grounds, groundwork, guide, guideline, guiding light,
guiding principle, guiding star, hardpan, heart, honesty, hypostasis, idea, ideal, ideally, imperative, in essence, in
theory, inner essence, inspiration, integrity, intention, interest, issue, kernel, law, law of nature, lifework, lodestar, mainspring, marrow, mass movement, matter, maxim, meat, mitzvah, model, moral, morality, morals, motive, movement, norm, norma, notion, nub, nucleus, nuts and bolts,
occasion, order of
nature, ordinance,
pavement, philosophy, pith, point of view, postulate, precept, prescribed form,
prescription,
principium, principles, probity, proposition, quid, quiddity, quintessence, radical, reason, reason for being,
regulation, riprap, rock bottom, rubric, rudiment, rudiments, rule, sake, sap, score, seat, self-evident truth, sentiment, set form, settled
principle, sill, solid
ground, solid rock, soul,
source, spirit, spring, standard, standing order,
stereobate, stimulus, stuff, stylobate, substance, substratum, substruction, substructure, teaching, tenet, terra firma, the
nitty-gritty, theorem,
theoretically,
truism, truth, ulterior motive, underbuilding, undercarriage, undergirding, underpinning, understruction, understructure, universal
law, universal truth, uprightness, usage, viewpoint, vocation, working principle,
working rule