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in principle

Idioms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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in principle

Dutch electronics and medical device manufacturer Philips said Tuesday it had reached a deal "in principle" with US authorities to settle a long-running case over faulty sleep machines.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

“He was an American in principle, if not by birth,” another biographer once observed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Mark Sanchez has reached an agreement in principle to end the civil case against him filed by a truck driver who got into a physical altercation with the former USC and NFL quarterback.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Their proposed method can, in principle, be applied to W states containing any number of photons.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026

The barrier is clear in principle, although there are inevitable ambiguities in practice.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023