in principle

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]

Example Sentences

A strategy that strengthens the body's natural capacity to replace worn-out mitochondria could, in principle, help address all of these problems at once.

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Any physical substance that can reliably switch between two different, stable configurations can in principle serve as a storage platform for that binary information.

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Quantum computing offers a promising alternative because, in principle, it can represent and simulate these systems far more efficiently.

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UN member states adopted a resolution Wednesday urging international conflicts be paused during the Olympics -- an ideal embraced in principle every two years and regularly ignored.

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“Yet I approve of children, in principle,” the imposter went on.

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