A basic rule, belief, or idea that guides how something works or how people behave. It can also mean a moral rule that you refuse to break.
From Latin *principium* meaning 'beginning' or 'foundation', related to *princeps* 'first'. It entered English through Old French, with the sense of a starting point or basic truth.
‘Principal’ is a person or main thing; ‘principle’ is an idea or rule—same sound, different job. Principles are like the invisible code behind actions, the 'why' under the 'what'. When people say 'It’s the principle of the thing', they’re telling you the rule matters more than the result.
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