on principle

Idioms  

1. On moral or ethical grounds. As James Russell Lowell wrote about Alexander Pope in 1871, “There was a time when I could not read Pope, but disliked him on principle.” [First half of 1800s]

2. According to a fixed rule or practice. For example, The police were locking up the demonstrators on principle . [First half of 1800s]

3. on general principle . For no special reason, in general, as in Dean won't touch broccoli on general principle . [First half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

That agreement is highly sought after by developing countries, but India has so far balked, on principle, to plurilateral agreements within the WTO.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Warsh didn’t spend years positioning himself for this job to torch it on principle.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

Canada's Mark Carney said that he agreed with Trump's plan on principle, but that the details - including financial ones - were still being worked through.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2026

Mr. McConnell has been a consistent, thoughtful supporter of presidential powers, and he continued to stand on principle on Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

When have I ever expressed an interested in British royalty, a concept with which I don’t even agree on principle?

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon