in principle

English

Etymology

From in + principle (the noun ultimately from Latin principium). Compare French en principe, German im Prinzip, Dutch in principe, Swedish i princip, Danish i princippet.

Pronunciation

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Prepositional phrase

in principle

1. With regard to the fundamentals, but not to the particulars.

   agree in principle

   approve in principle

   support in principle

   In principle, I agree with your proposal, but we need more details.

   The plan is acceptable in principle.

   • 1920, Edward Phillips Oppenheim, The Great Impersonation, Chapter 25:

     "If Russia mobilises, it is for defence. No nation in the world would dream of attacking Germany, nor has Germany the slightest intention of imperilling her coming supremacy amongst the nations by such crude methods as military enterprise. Servia must be punished, naturally, but to that, in principle, every nation in Europe is agreed. We shall not permit Austria to overstep the mark."

2. According to theory.

Translations

with regard to fundamentals

• Dutch: in beginsel, in principe
• Finnish: periaatteessa
• Georgian: პრინციპში (ṗrinciṗši)
• German: im Prinzip, prinzipiell (de)
• Greek: κατ’ αρχήν (el) (kat’ archín)
• Malay: pada dasarnya
• Pannonian Rusyn: у началє (u načalje)
• Portuguese: em princípio
• Russian: в при́нципе (ru) (v príncipe)
• Scottish Gaelic: ann am prionnsabal
• Slovak: v princípe
• Spanish: en principio (es)
• Swedish: i princip (sv)

according to theory

• Catalan: en principi
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 理論上 / 理论上 (zh) (lǐlùn shàng)

• Finnish: periaatteessa
• French: en principe (fr), en théorie
• Hungarian: elvileg (hu), elvben, elviekben, elméletben, elméletileg (hu)
• Italian: in linea di principio
• Japanese: 理論上 (りろんじょう, rironjō)
• Pannonian Rusyn: начално (načalno)
• Portuguese: em princípio
• Russian: в при́нципе (ru) (v príncipe), теорети́чески (ru) (teoretíčeski)
• Scottish Gaelic: ann am prionnsabal
• Spanish: en principio (es), en teoría
• Swedish: i princip (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} principe (eo)

See also

• on principle