1
as in honorable
following the accepted rules of moral conduct
a high-principled art expert who always told clients what he honestly thought their items were worth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ethical
guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong
a politician widely respected for her principled behavior in every office she ever held
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of principled
Both the principled zealotry of Douglas and the compromise-forging acumen of Dirksen are urgently needed if our communities and country will successfully tackle the formidable challenges that confront us.
—
John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The movie seems keen to the now-ancient and passé concept of selling out, though not terribly interested in actually reviving or adopting Gen X’s principled superstition against it.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
That history complicates any attempt to frame the current lawsuit as purely principled IP defense rather than competitive positioning.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
And then there are different kind of more principled views.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principled
John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The movie seems keen to the now-ancient and passé concept of selling out, though not terribly interested in actually reviving or adopting Gen X’s principled superstition against it.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
That history complicates any attempt to frame the current lawsuit as purely principled IP defense rather than competitive positioning.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
And then there are different kind of more principled views.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principled
Adjective
-
Though the art that first spoke to me was honest and honorable depictions of Black life, I have since been inspired, gutted and changed by artists from all walks of life.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Democratic Congressman Mike Thompson called LaMalfa an honorable public servant and recounted the two working together to deliver help for wildfire victims.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Karp’s defense of Epstein raises ethical and professional questions.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The party is attempting to establish itself as the responsible anchor of a fragile coalition — a role that demands ethical clarity, internal coherence, and strategic restraint.—
Sam Mkokeli,
semafor.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But these songs are also honest, sometimes despite themselves, about the feelings of impotence associated with watching history play out on a screen.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
-
At least Mamdani was honest and campaigned as a socialist.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The movie is, above all, about the moral compromise and human costs that come with immigration enforcement.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Rice finished with a respectable 104 wRC+ and seven home runs in 106 at-bats against lefties in 2025.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Cargo space is respectable for the class, and the hatch configuration is easier to live with day-to-day than a trunk-only sedan.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Those places were unregulated, untaxed and, typically, not particularly conscientious about checking ID.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Many states are new enacting or widening already broad religious and conscientious exemptions.—
Richard Hughes IV,
STAT,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Principled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principled. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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