first principle
Americannoun
noun
-
one of the fundamental assumptions on which a particular theory or procedure is thought to be based
-
an axiom of a mathematical or scientific theory
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.
As in medicine, the first principle of policymakers is “do no harm.”
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
Our first principle, perhaps the most important, is a tribute to my Jewish mother: Meals matter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
The first principle is that the president normally should not be using the military to engage in domestic law enforcement.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2025
"The first principle in the academic world is that you direct your reader to your source material, and that isn't happening here," she said.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2025
The principles were Blindness, Loneliness, and Terror, the first principle necessarily and actively cultivated in order to deny the two others.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
