principled

American  

[prin-suh-puhld] / ˈprɪn sə pəld /

adjective

1. imbued with or having moral principles (often used in combination).

   high-principled.

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principled British  

/ ˈprɪnsɪpəld /

adjective

1. 1. having high moral principles

   2. ( in combination )

      high-principled

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Other Word Forms

• misprincipled adjective
• nonprincipled adjective
• well-principled adjective

Etymology

Origin of principled

First recorded in 1635–45; principle + -ed ³

Example Sentences

For a while, they thought he was principled if misguided, and not the best at explaining himself.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

“His willingness to resist short-term pressures in the interest of achieving lasting price stability demonstrated the courage and long-term perspective that define principled public service,” Powell said.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

The principled stand threw Anthropic’s business into jeopardy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

"I miss the goodness of Sarah: she was thoughtful and dependable and highly principled."

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

But the joke never went any further, because Annie didn’t have an ID and the strangely principled clerk wouldn’t even pull it out from behind the counter for her to inspect.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

Related Words

• conscientious
• decent
• equitable
• honest
• honorable
• humane
• moral
• moralistic
• noble
• righteous
• virtuous