- [countable, usually plural, uncountable]
a moral rule or a strong belief that influences your actions 道德原则；行为准则；规范 He has high moral principles. 他道德高尚。 Stick to your principles and tell him you won't do it. 要恪守自己的原则，告诉他你绝不会干的。 - against your principles
I refuse to lie about it; it's against my principles. 我绝不为此事撒谎；那是违背我的原则的。 - on principle
He doesn't invest in the arms industry on principle. 他根据自己的信条，不投资军火工业。 She refuses to allow her family to help her as a matter of principle. 她不要家人帮忙，对她来说这是个原则问题。
Homophones principal | principleprincipal principle- principal adjective
They were joined on stage by their principal conductor. 他们的首席指挥和他们一起上台。
- principal noun
The college is excited to announce the appointment of a new principal. 学院兴奋地宣布新校长的任命。
- principle noun
Many green activists oppose GM crops on principle. 许多绿色活动家原则上反对转基因作物。
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesb2I refuse to compromise my principles by eating meat. 我拒绝违背自己的原则开荤。 As a man of principle, he would not cover up for his former friend. 作为一个有原则的人，他不会为他以前的朋友掩饰。 As a matter of principle she won't be visiting the president. 原则上，她不会去拜访总统。 I can't accept his offer without seriously compromising my principles. 我不能接受他的提议而不严重损害我的原则。 The group never departed from its principle of non-violence. 该组织从未背离非暴力原则。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- founding
- guiding
- …
- abandon
- betray
- compromise
- …
- against your principles
- on principle
- a matter of principle
- a man/woman of principle
- [countable]
a law, a rule or a theory that something is based on 法则；原则；原理 The same principles apply to both humans and animals. 同样的原则适用于人类和动物。 an important legal principle 一项重要的法律原则 ‘You learn general principles from studying particular things,’ he asserts. 他断言说，你从研究特定事物中学习一般原理。 - principle of something
the basic principles of car maintenance 汽车保养的基本原则 There are three fundamental principles of teamwork. 团队合作有三个基本原则。 to learn the basic/general principles of something 学习某事物的基本/一般原理 the principles of justice/law 正义/法律的原则 - principle of doing something
the principles and practice of writing reports 报告写作的理论与实践 - principle for something
draft principles for the management of shared natural resources 共有自然资源管理原则草案 - principle for doing something
a document setting out principles for resolving the dispute 阐明解决争端原则的文件 - principle behind something
The principle behind it is very simple. 其中的原理十分简单。 Discussing all these details will get us nowhere; we must get back to first principles (= the most basic rules). 一直谈这些细节不会有结果的；我们必须回到根本原则上来。 The court derived a set of principles from this general rule. 法院从这条一般规则中得出一套原则。
Extra ExamplesTopics Scientific researchb2His novels reject chronology as an organizing principle. 他的小说放弃了以年代为序的布局原则。 She is interested in actual human relationships rather than abstract principles. 她感兴趣的是人与人之间实际存在的关系，而不是抽象的原则。 She went on to explain the principles behind what she was doing. 她接着解释了自己行为背后的原则。 The house incorporates many principles of modern environmentally aware design. 这所房子采用了许多具有现代环保意识的设计原则。 This principle applies to all kinds of selling. 这一原则适用于各种形式的销售。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- basic
- broad
- central
- …
- violate
- embody
- embrace
- …
- apply
- underlie something
- underpin something
- …
- in principle
- principle behind
- the pleasure principle
- the precautionary principle
- the uncertainty principle
- …
- [countable]
a belief that is accepted as a reason for acting or thinking in a particular way 观念；（行动、思想的）理由，信条 The welfare of the child is the guiding principle of the family courts. 儿童福利是家庭法院的指导原则。 They were accused of violating the principles of democracy. 他们被指控违反民主原则。 The principle of equality is enshrined in the Constitution. 平等原则已载入《宪法》。 - principle that…
the application of the principle that men and women should receive equal pay for equal work 男女同工同酬原则的实施 The UN declaration sought to establish the principle that everyone is entitled to the same basic rights 《联合国宣言》试图确立人人享有同等基本权利的原则 the principle that free education should be available for all children 所有儿童都应该能享受免费教育的观念 - in accordance with a principle
Ethical behaviour entails acting in accordance with established principles of right and wrong 道德行为要求按照既定的对错原则行事
Extra ExamplesThe order to show no mercy was contrary to the most basic principles of their religion. 绝不心慈手软这一命令与他们宗教最基本的信条相背离。 Freedom is the founding principle of our Republic. 自由是我们共和国的基本行为准则。 She sticks to the principle that everyone should be treated equally. 她坚持一视同仁的准则。 the principles underlying Western philosophy 构成西方哲学基础的基本原则
- [countable, uncountable]
a general or scientific law that explains how something works or why something happens 定律；工作原理 O'Sullivan was among the first chemists to apply scientific principles to brewing beer. 奥沙利文是第一批将科学原理应用于酿造啤酒的化学家之一。 - principle that…
the principle that heat rises 热气上升的定律 - in principle
A tidal current turbine is similar in principle to a windmill. 潮流涡轮机从原理上和风车相似。
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, from Latin principium ‘source’, principia (plural) ‘foundations’, from princeps, princip- ‘first, chief’.
Idioms
in principle
if something can be done in principle, there is no good reason why it should not be done although it has not yet been done and there may be some difficulties 原则上；理论上 in general but not in detail 大体上；基本上