Meanings
- With regard to the fundamentals, but not to the particulars.
agree in principle
5 more examples
approve in principle
support in principle
In principle, I agree with your proposal, but we need more details.
The plan is acceptable in principle.
"If Russia mobilises, it is for defence. No nation in the world would dream of attacking Germany, nor has Germany the slightest intention of imperilling her coming supremacy amongst the nations by such crude methods as military enterprise. Servia must be punished, naturally, but to that, in principle, every nation in Europe is agreed. We shall not permit Austria to overstep the mark."
1920, Edward Phillips Oppenheim, The Great Impersonation, Chapter 25 - According to theory.
1 more example
The Gleichschaltung of the party took longer, but was equally inevitable: the matter was settled in principle at the Tenth Congress, in March 1921, by Lenin's attack on factionalism and 'the luxury of studying shades of opinion', and his statement that 'we must make it quite clear that we cannot have arguments about deviations and that we must put a stop to that'.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, pages 513-514
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbwith regard to fundamentals although not concerning details
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From in + principle (the noun ultimately from Latin principium). Compare French en principe, German im Prinzip, Dutch in principe, Swedish i princip, Danish i princippet.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan en principi
- en principiaccording to theory
Chinese Mandarin 理論上 /理论上
- 理論上 /理论上 (lǐlùn shàng)according to theory
Dutch in beginsel, in principe
- in beginselwith regard to fundamentals
- in principewith regard to fundamentals
Finnish periaatteessa, periaatteessa
- periaatteessawith regard to fundamentals
- periaatteessaaccording to theory
French en principe, en théorie
- en principeaccording to theory
- en théorieaccording to theory
German im Prinzip, prinzipiell
- im Prinzipwith regard to fundamentals
- prinzipiellwith regard to fundamentals
Greek κατ’ αρχήν
- κατ’ αρχήν (kat’ archín)with regard to fundamentals
Hungarian elvileg, elvben
- elvilegaccording to theory
- elvbenaccording to theory
- elviekbenaccording to theory
- elméletbenaccording to theory
- elméletilegaccording to theory
Italian in linea di principio
- in linea di principioaccording to theory
Japanese 理論上
- 理論上 (rironjō)according to theory
Malay pada dasarnya
- pada dasarnyawith regard to fundamentals
Portuguese em princípio, em princípio
- em princípiowith regard to fundamentals
- em princípioaccording to theory
Russian в при́нципе, в при́нципе
- в при́нципе (v príncipe)with regard to fundamentals
- в при́нципе (v príncipe)according to theory
- теорети́чески (teoretíčeski)according to theory
Scottish Gaelic ann am prionnsabal, ann am prionnsabal
- ann am prionnsabalwith regard to fundamentals
- ann am prionnsabalaccording to theory
Slovak v princípe
- v princípewith regard to fundamentals
Spanish en principio, en principio
- en principiowith regard to fundamentals
- en principioaccording to theory
- en teoríaaccording to theory
Swedish i princip, i princip
- i principwith regard to fundamentals
- i principaccording to theory
Cite this entry
in principle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20principle
“in principle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20principle. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in principle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20principle.
Source: in principle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.