principle

Meanings

Noun

• A fundamental assumption or guiding belief.
• A rule used to choose among solutions to a problem.
• Moral rule or aspect.
• A rule or law of nature, or the basic idea on how the laws of nature are applied.
• A fundamental essence, particularly one producing a given quality.
• A beginning.
• A source, or origin; that from which anything proceeds; fundamental substance or energy; primordial substance; ultimate element, or cause.
• An original faculty or endowment.

Verb

• To equip with principles; to establish, or fix, in certain principles; to impress with any tenet or rule of conduct.

Related

Similar words

• tenet

Origin

• From Middle English principle, from Old French principe, from Latin prīncipium ("beginning, foundation"), from prīnceps, surface etymology is from prīmus + -ceps; the former ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- ("before"); see also prince.