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

“It’s a horrible little bar—little room, dark and poky—it’s not a place you’d want to spend any time, but in principle, I don’t agree with it,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

U.S. and Iran agreed to meet in principle.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Campaigners celebrated last May after a regional court in northern Germany ruled that companies could in principle be sued over the consequences of their emissions.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

A YouGov poll in June 2025 - just before the second House of Commons vote - suggested that nearly three-quarters of Britons think assisted dying should be legal in principle, with 72% supporting Leadbeater's proposals.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Similarly, the changes required to transform wild plants into crops can in principle be brought about by alternative new mutations or alternative courses of selection to yield equivalent results.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond