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

See Examples For:

in principle

Redirecting each photon creates a tiny recoil force, similar in principle to the recoil produced when a bullet is fired.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026

German business weekly WirtschaftsWoche reported that Porsche's works council, which represents staff interests, had agreed in principle with management to end Taycan production.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Empathy becomes something we endorse in principle but rarely practice.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

The project, agreed in principle with the Fujairah Ports Authority under a 50-year concession, includes a container and multipurpose terminal and a general-cargo terminal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Though obvious in principle, the consequences are sometimes resisted, as they were by the student of mine who maintained that human hair just didn’t grow in miles per hour.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos