Grammar Tips & Articles »

The Word “Principle”

This Grammar.com article is about The Word “Principle” — enjoy your reading!


1:16 min read
6,648 Views
  Ed Good  —  Grammar Tips
Font size:

A Part-of-Speech Approach

Instead, let’s take a simple parts-of-speech approach to understanding the differences. The word principle will always appear as a noun form, never as an adjective. It is thus incorrect to say:

This was the principle (meaning main) reason supporting the company’s decision.

A Trick to Help You Remember

Also, the word principle essentially means just one thing (or variations of this one thing): a rule or tenet or precept or policy. The key word to remember is rule. If tricks help, both words end in “‑le.” Here are some examples:

Some people have high moral principles (rules). An inventor’s research must adhere to scientific principles (rules). The court followed the sound judicial principle (rule) of interpreting a statute in light of legislative intent.

The Word Principled

The word principle will operate as an adjective only in its noun past-participial state. In the English language, you can take a good old noun and turn it into what amounts to a past participle. Thus: the wooded lot, the two-faced politician, the hooded robber. (Notice how these verb-like words derive from the nouns wood, face, and hood.)

In your writing, you might have the occasion to describe a decision of your boss as a principled decision.

But other than this -ed version, the word principle acts not as an adjective but only as a noun. It means rule. Remember:

The word rule ends in -le and so does the word principle.

 

Previous: Chapter 11 - “Principle” vs. “Principal”

Next: The Word “Principal”

Rate this article:

Have a discussion about this article with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this article to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Word “Principle”." Grammar.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.grammar.com/the-word-principle>.

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Check your text and writing for style, spelling and grammar problems everywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Check your text and writing for style, spelling and grammar problems everywhere on the web!

    Browse Grammar.com

    Free Writing Tool:

    Instant
    Grammar Checker

    Improve your grammar, vocabulary, and writing -- and it's FREE!


    Quiz

    Are you a grammar master?

    »
    Choose the sentence with correct use of the possessive apostrophe:
    A Shes going to her friends party.
    B The cat's tail is fluffy.
    C Its been a long day.
    D Theyre planning a trip for next summer.

    Improve your writing now:

    Download Grammar eBooks

    It’s now more important than ever to develop a powerful writing style. After all, most communication takes place in reports, emails, and instant messages.