All 3 Uses of
principle
in
This Side of Paradise
- She is quite unprincipled; her philosophy is carpe diem for herself and laissez faire for others.†
Chpt 2.1 *unprincipled = lacking or not based on basic beliefsstandard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unprincipled means not and reverses the meaning of principled. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
- He expressed his lack of principle by sweeping a seltzer bottle with a broad gesture to noisy extinction on the floor, but this did not interrupt his speech.†
Chpt 2.2principle = basic rule or belief
- Life was a damned muddle...a football game with every one off-side and the referee gotten rid of—every one claiming the referee would have been on his side.... Progress was a labyrinth...people plunging blindly in and then rushing wildly back, shouting that they had found it...the invisible king—the elan vital—the principle of evolution...writing a book, starting a war, founding a school.... Amory, even had he not been a selfish man, would have started all inquiries with himself.†
Chpt 2.5
Definitions:
-
(1)
(principle) a basic rule or beliefThe exact meaning of principle can depend upon its context. For example:
- "our guiding principles" -- basic moral beliefs that guide decisions and behavior
- "electromagnetic principles" -- rules describing how the world works
- "She lacks principles." -- lacks moral guidelines
- "We agree in principle." -- about important basic beliefs
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
See a comprehensive dictionary for more specialized senses including one in chemistry.