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Synonyms

principled

American  
[prin-suh-puhld] / ˈprɪn sə pəld /

adjective

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

    high-principled.
principled British  
/ ˈprɪnsɪpəld /

adjective

    1. having high moral principles

    2. ( in combination )

      high-principled
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • misprincipled adjective
  • nonprincipled adjective
  • well-principled adjective

Etymology

Origin of principled

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

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.

Overcoming years of principled resistance to monitoring my absence of well-being didn’t even require lifting a finger.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

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

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell praised Paul Volcker’s principled leadership in resisting political pressure during his fight against inflation.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

"Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision," Lamberth wrote.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 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

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.