first principle

American  

noun

1. any axiom, law, or abstraction assumed and regarded as representing the highest possible degree of generalization.

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first principle British  

noun

1. one of the fundamental assumptions on which a particular theory or procedure is thought to be based

2. an axiom of a mathematical or scientific theory

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Example Sentences

Our first principle, perhaps the most important, is a tribute to my Jewish mother: Meals matter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jefferson articulated America’s first principles, but without Washington’s leadership, those principles wouldn’t have survived.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We hope this ban is only the start of a reckoning between society and the tech companies that built these platforms with growth as their first principle instead of safety."

From BBC

The prime minister insisted to me it was the first principles that motivated him – driving down child poverty, improving the NHS and schools.

From BBC

All departments have also reassessed spending from first principles, as part of a "zero-based" review.

From BBC