principle

== English == === 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. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada, General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɪn.sɪ.pəl/, [ˈpɹɪn.sɪ.pɫ̩], /ˈpɹɪn.sə.pəl/, [ˈpɹɪn.sə.pɫ̩] Homophone: principal Hyphenation: prin‧ci‧ple === Noun === principle (plural principles) A fundamental assumption, fundamental law or guiding belief. Synonym: premise A rule used to choose among solutions to a problem. (sometimes pluralized) Moral rule or aspect. Synonym: tenet (physics) A rule or law of nature, or the basic idea on how the laws of nature are applied. 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). A source, or origin; that from which anything proceeds; fundamental substance or energy; primordial substance; ultimate element, or cause. An original faculty or endowment. Misspelling of principal. (obsolete) A beginning. ==== Usage notes ==== Principle ("moral rule"), as a noun, is often confused with principal, which can be an adjective ("most important") or a noun ("school principal"). A memory aid to avoid this confusion is: "The principal alphabetic principle places A before E". Another well-known one often taught to schoolchildren is that the school principal is their pal (friend). ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== prince principal principality ==== Translations ==== === Verb === principle (third-person singular simple present principles, present participle principling, simple past and past participle principled) (transitive) To equip with principles; to establish, or fix, in certain principles; to impress with any tenet or rule of conduct. ==== Further reading ==== “principle”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “principle”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.