in principle

Idioms  

1. Fundamentally, in general, but not necessarily in all particulars. For example, The diplomats accepted the idea in principle but would rely on experts to work out all the details. [Early 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in principle

Wisdom teeth aren’t useless in principle, but they no longer fit comfortably within modern skulls.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

EasyJet said in a statement that it had reached an "agreement in principle" with Apollo after its surprise offer of £7.15 per share beat Castlelake's bid of £6.90 per share.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

EasyJet has reached an agreement in principle with a US investment firm over a potential takeover offer worth around £5.2 billion.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

The 9th Circuit upheld that measure in principle, but said California went too far by requiring the owner to post a prominent sign expressly authorizing guns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

Science is thus a cross-cultural language which any culture can in principle learn to speak, and which any technologically sophisticated culture will already have learnt to speak.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton