on principle

idiom

: because of one's beliefs
She refused on principle to give toy guns to the children.

Examples of on principle in a Sentence

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There is no evidence Duffy is against tariffs on principle. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 But the ban on solicitation is not merely imposed on principle alone, says Michael Waddington, a criminal defense attorney who specializes in court-marial cases. Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 19 Nov. 2024 Trump’s decision to withdraw about 2,000 troops from Syria reportedly led U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis to resign from his position, the first resignation on principle by a senior member of the cabinet in 40 years. Robert Satloff, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2019 This final part of the process has been blocked by three countries—India, South Africa, and Turkey—that object on principle to the notion of plurilateral (rather than multilateral) agreements within the WTO. Kristen Hopewell, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for on principle 

Dictionary Entries Near on principle

Cite this Entry

“On principle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20principle. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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