principled
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of principled
Explanation
If you decide to take a lower grade rather than cheat on a test, you are making a principled decision, or one that is based on moral rightness. Most people have a set of principles or basic moral rules that they follow. These might include not stealing, not cheating, and treating people as you would like to be treated. Decisions made following these rules are principled, as are people who follow their principles often. If you take a principled stance on censorship, your defend or refute it actively based on your convictions.
Vocabulary lists containing principled
President Trump's Second State of the Union Address (2019)
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They Called Us Enemy
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Obama's State of the Union Address, 2014
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I do understand his reasons. He is a principled man. Principled people do resign from the government," Javid told Sky News.
From Reuters • Dec. 19, 2021
This story and essay, and the accompanying art, are the first in a series presented by Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, as part of its work on Learning Futures and Principled Innovation.
From Slate • Jan. 30, 2021
And now is a particularly good time to contemplate his legacy: “Rams” will be released on Wednesday and the exhibition “Dieter Rams: Principled Design” is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through April, 2019.
From The New Yorker • Nov. 28, 2018
Principled leadership, on the other hand, points us toward a better way.
From Salon • Nov. 18, 2018
Principled politicians, judges and lawyers are needed to dig deep in the face of much resistance.
From The Guardian • Aug. 22, 2018
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
