IN PRINCIPLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does in principle mean? 

• IN PRINCIPLE (adverb)
  The adverb IN PRINCIPLE has 1 sense:

1. with regard to fundamentals although not concerning details

  Familiarity information: IN PRINCIPLE used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IN PRINCIPLE (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

With regard to fundamentals although not concerning details

Synonyms:

in essence; in principle; in theory

Context example:

in principle, we agree

 Context examples 

In principle an anti-idiotype antibody should inhibit a specific immune response and they are important to the regulation of the immune system.

(Anti-Idiotype Antibody, NCI Thesaurus)

I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

“But for siRNA, once you develop one MOF that is useful, you can in principle use this for a range of different siRNA sequences, treating different diseases.”

(Nanoparticles used to transport anti-cancer agent to cells, University of Cambridge)

We were right in principle, and ninety-nine times out of a hundred we should have proved, by the logic of events, the accuracy of our judgment.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Confirming this assumption in principle requires more powerful space telescopes than are currently available.

(Massive Dead Disk Galaxy Challenges Theories of Galaxy Evolution, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Since Teegarden’s Star radiates much less energy than our Sun, temperatures on these planets are relatively cool and could, in principle, enable liquid water to sit on their surfaces (particularly the outermost of the two, Teegarden c).

(Researchers find two new planets with masses similar to Earth’s near a small neighbouring star, University of Granada)

In principle, we could encode new proteins made from new, unnatural amino acids—which would give us greater power than ever to tailor protein therapeutics and diagnostics and laboratory reagents to have desired functions.

(Expanding the Genetic Alphabet, NIH)