English

Etymology
From Latin principium, beginning, foundation

Pronunciation
IPA|/�prɪnsɪp�l/ or /�prɪns�p�l/
audio|en-us-principle.ogg|Audio (US)

Homophones
principal

Noun
en-noun

1. A fundamental assumption.

#: We need some sort of principles to reason from.

1. A rule used to choose among solutions to a problem.

#: The principle of least privilege holds that a process should only receive the permissions it needs.

1. (generally plural) Moral rule or aspect.

#: I don't doubt your principles; you are clearly a person of principle.
#: It's the principle of the thing; I won't do business with someone I can't trust.

1. A rule or law of nature, or the basic idea on how the laws of nature are applied.

#: Bernoulli's principle
#: The Pauli Exclusion Principle prevents two fermions from occupying the same state.
#: The principle of the internal combustion engine

1. (somewhat dated) A fundamental essence, particularly one producing a given quality.

#: Many believe that life is the result of some vital principle.
#: Cathartine is the bitter, purgative principle of senna. — Gregory.

1. obsolete A beginning.

#: Doubting sad end of principle unsound. — Spenser.

Translations
trans-top|fundamental assumption
Arabic: Arab|�بدأ IPAchar|(mábda�) m
Chinese: ��, �� (yuánzé)
Dutch: t+|nl|principe|n
Finnish: t-|fi|perusoletus, t-|fi|peruste, t-|fi|prinsiippi
French: t+|fr|principe|m
German: Prinzip n
Greek: α��ή (archí) f
Hebrew: he-translation|עקר��|ikarón m
Hungarian: t+|hu|elv
trans-mid
Italian: t+|it|principio|m
Japanese: 主義 (���, shugi)
Korean: �리 (wolli)
Portuguese: princípio m
Russian: п�ин�ип (príncip) m
Spanish: t+|es|principio|m
Swedish: princip c
trans-bottom

trans-top|rule to solve a problem
Finnish: t+|fi|periaate
French: t+|fr|principe|m
Hebrew: he-translation|עקר��|ikarón m
trans-mid
Portuguese: princípio m
Russian: п�ин�ип (príncip) m
trans-bottom

trans-top|moral rule or aspect
Finnish: t+|fi|periaate, t-|fi|prinsiippi
French: t+|fr|principe|m
Hebrew: he-translation|עקר��|ikarón m
trans-mid
Kurdish: KUchar|ب�ر� با���ر
Portuguese: princípio m
Russian: п�ин�ип (príncip) m
trans-bottom

trans-top|rule of nature
Finnish: t+|fi|periaate, t+|fi|laki, t-|fi|toimintaperiaate
French: t+|fr|principe|m
Hebrew: he-translation|עקר��|ikarón m
trans-mid
Portuguese: princípio m
trans-bottom

checktrans
trans-top|translations to be checked
ttbc|Chinese: ��, �� (yuánzé)
ttbc|Dutch: principe
ttbc|German: Prinzip n (1, 2), Prinzipien p (3)
ttbc|Interlingua: principio
ttbc|Italian: principio
ttbc|Japanese: 主義 (���, shugi)
ttbc|Korean: �리 (wolli) (1, 2)
ttbc|Latin: principium n
ttbc|Norwegian: prinsipp
ttbc|Polish: zasada f (on principle dla zasady; in principle w zasadzie)
ttbc|Spanish: principio m
ttbc|Indonesian: prinsip
trans-bottom

Usage notes
Principle (moral rule) is often confused with principal (most important.) Consult both definitions if in doubt.

The confused may care to remember that 'The principal alphabetic principle places A before E' as a reminder of the relative spelling.

Related terms
anthropic principle
Aufbau principle
Bernoulli's principle
correspondence principle
Dilbert principle
equivalence principle
first principles
Le Chatelier's principle
matter of principle
on principle
Peter principle
precautionary principle
principle of least action
principled stance
uncertainty principle

See also
principal
principled

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• 2007-12-20 19:09 - VolkovBot - robot Adding: [[ja:principle]]

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