A basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct:
— Their principles of composition characterized all their works.

synonym: rule.

Roget 5: intrinsicality^†, inbeing^†, inherence, inhesion^†; subjectiveness; ego; egohood^†; essence, noumenon; essentialness^† etc. adj.; essential part, quintessence, incarnation, quiddity, gist, pith, marrow, core, sap, lifeblood, backbone, heart, soul; important part etc. (importance) 642.    principle, nature, constitution, character, type, quality, crasis^†, diathesis^†.    habit; temper, temperament; spirit, humor, grain; disposition.    endowment, capacity; capability etc. (power) 157.    moods, declensions, features, aspects; peculiarities etc. (speciality) 79; idiosyncrasy, oddity; idiocrasy etc. (tendency) 176; diagnostics.    ... show more

Roget 484: belief; credence; credit; assurance; faith, trust, troth, confidence, presumption, sanguine expectation etc. (hope) 858; dependence on, reliance on.    persuasion, conviction, convincement^†, plerophory^†, self-conviction; certainty etc. 474; opinion, mind, view; conception, thinking; impression etc. (idea) 453; surmise etc. 514; conclusion etc. (judgment) 480.    tenet, dogma, principle, way of thinking; popular belief etc. (assent) 488.    firm belief, implicit belief, settled belief, fixed rooted deep-rooted belief, staunch belief, unshaken belief, steadfast belief, inveterate belief, calm belief, sober belief, dispassionate belief, impartial belief, well-founded belief, firm opinion, implicit opinion, settled opinion, fixed rooted deep-rooted opinion, staunch opinion, unshaken opinion, steadfast opinion, inveterate opinion, calm opinion, sober opinion, dispassionate opinion, impartial opinion, well-founded opinion &c.; uberrima fides [Lat.].    system of opinions, school, doctrine, articles, canons; article of faith, declaration of faith, profession of faith; tenets, credenda^†, creed; thirty-nine articles etc. (orthodoxy) 983.1; catechism; assent etc. 488; propaganda etc. (teaching) 537.    credibility etc. (probability) 472.    ... show more

Roget 939: probity, integrity, rectitude; uprightness etc. adj.; honesty, faith; honor; bonne foi [Fr.], good faith, bona fides [Lat.]; purity, clean hands.    fairness etc. adj.; fair play, justice, equity, impartiality, principle, even-handedness; grace.    constancy; faithfulness etc. adj.; fidelity, loyalty; incorruption, incorruptibility.    trustworthiness etc. adj.; truth, candor, singleness of heart; veracity etc. 543; tender conscience etc. (sense of duty) 926.    punctilio, delicacy, nicety; scrupulosity, scrupulousness etc. adj.; scruple; point, point of honor; punctuality.    dignity &c., (repute) 873; respectability, respectableness etc. adj.; gentilhomme [Fr.], gentleman; man of honor, man of his word; fidus Achates [Lat.], preux chevalier [Fr.], galantuomo [It]; truepenny^†, trump, brick; true Briton; white man [U.S.].    court of honor, a fair field and no favor; argumentum ad verecundiam [Lat.].    ... show more

Roget 615: motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action.    reason, ground, call, principle; by end, by purpose; mainspring, primum mobile [Lat.], keystone; the why and the wherefore; pro and con, reason why; secret motive, arriere pensee [Fr.]; intention etc. 620.    inducement, consideration; attraction; loadstone; magnet, magnetism, magnetic force; allectation^†, allective^†; temptation, enticement, agacerie^†, allurement, witchery; bewitchment, bewitchery; charm; spell etc. 993; fascination, blandishment, cajolery; seduction, seducement; honeyed words, voice of the tempter, song of the Sirens forbidden fruit, golden apple.    persuasibility^†, persuasibleness^†; attractability^†; impressibility, susceptibility; softness; persuasiveness, attractiveness; tantalization^†.    influence, prompting, dictate, instance; impulse, impulsion; incitement, incitation; press, instigation; provocation etc. (excitation of feeling) 824; inspiration; persuasion, suasion; encouragement, advocacy; exhortation; advice etc. 695; solicitation etc. (request) 765; lobbyism; pull [Slang].    incentive, stimulus, spur, fillip, whip, goad, ankus^†, rowel, provocative, whet, dram.    bribe, lure; decoy, decoy duck; bait, trail of a red herring; bribery and corruption; sop, sop for Cerberus.    prompter, tempter; seducer, seductor^†; instigator, firebrand, incendiary; Siren, Circe; agent provocateur; lobbyist.    ... show more

Roget 496: maxim, aphorism; apothegm, apophthegm^†; dictum, saying, adage, saw, proverb; sentence, mot [Fr.], motto, word, byword, moral, phylactery, protasis^†.    axiom, theorem, scholium^†, truism, postulate.    first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition) 514.    reflection etc. (idea) 453; conclusion etc. (judgment) 480; golden rule etc. (precept) 697; principle, principia [Lat.]; profession of faith etc. (belief) 484; settled principle, accepted principle, formula.    accepted fact.    received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted maxim, recognized maxim &c.; true saying, common saying, hackneyed saying, trite saying, commonplace saying etc. ... show more

Roget 476: reasoning ratiocination rationalism; dialectics, induction, generalization.    discussion, comment; ventilation; inquiry etc. 461.    argumentation, controversy, debate; polemics, wrangling; contention etc. 720; logomachy^†; disputation, disceptation^†; paper war.    art of reasoning, logic.    process of reasoning, train of reasoning, chain of reasoning; deduction, induction, abduction; synthesis, analysis.    argument; case, plaidoyer^†, opening; lemma, proposition, terms, premises, postulate, data, starting point, principle; inference etc. (judgment) 480.    prosyllogism^†, syllogism; enthymeme^†, sorites^†, dilemma, perilepsis^†, a priori reasoning, reductio ad absurdum, horns of a dilemma, argumentum ad hominem [Lat.], comprehensive argument; empirema^†, epagoge^†.    [person who reasons] reasoner, logician, dialectician; disputant; controversialist, controvertist^†; wrangler, arguer, debater polemic, casuist, rationalist; scientist; eristic^†.    logical sequence; good case; correct just reasoning, sound reasoning, valid reasoning, cogent reasoning, logical reasoning, forcible reasoning, persuasive reasoning, persuasory reasoning^†, consectary reasoning^†, conclusive etc. 478; subtle reasoning; force of argument, strong point, strong argument, persuasive argument.    arguments, reasons, pros and cons.    ... show more

Roget 316: materiality, materialness; corporeity^†, corporality^†; substantiality, substantialness, flesh and blood, plenum; physical condition.    matter, body, substance, brute matter, stuff, element, principle, parenchyma [Biol.], material, substratum, hyle^†, corpus, pabulum; frame.    object, article, thing, something; still life; stocks and stones; materials etc. 635.    [Science of matter] physics; somatology^†, somatics; natural philosophy, experimental philosophy; physicism^†; physical science, philosophie positive [Fr.], materialism; materialist; physicist; somatism^†, somatist^†.    ... show more

Roget 82: conformity, conformance; observance; habituation.    naturalization; conventionality etc. (custom) 613; agreement etc. 23.    example, instance, specimen, sample, quotation; exemplification, illustration, case in point; object lesson; elucidation.    standard, model, pattern etc. (prototype) 22.    rule, nature, principle; law; order of things; normal state, natural state, ordinary state, model state, normal condition, natural condition, ordinary condition, model condition; standing dish, standing order; Procrustean law; law of the Medes and Persians; hard and fast rule.    ... show more

Polish: standard, reguła, prawidłowość

A rule or standard especially of good behavior.

A basic truth or law or assumption.

Dutch: basisprincipe, beginsel, grondbeginsel, grondregel, grondstelling, hoofdregel, maxime, oerprincipe, principe

A rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system:
— The principle of the conservation of mass.
— The principle of jet propulsion.

synonym: rule.

Rule of personal conduct.

synonym: precept.

Dutch: regel, gedragsregel

law An explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature):
— The principles of internal-combustion engines.

synonym: rationale.

Roget 153: cause, origin, source, principle, element; occasioner^†, prime mover, primum mobile [Lat.]; vera causa [Lat.]; author etc. (producer) 164; mainspring; agent; leaven; groundwork, foundation etc. (support) 215.    spring, fountain, well, font; fountainhead, spring head, wellhead; fons et origo [Lat.], genesis; descent etc. (paternity) 166; remote cause; influence.    pivot, hinge, turning point, lever, crux, fulcrum; key; proximate cause, causa causans [Lat.]; straw that breaks the camel's back.    ground; reason, reason why; why and wherefore, rationale, occasion, derivation; final cause etc. (intention) 620; les dessous des cartes [Fr.]; undercurrents.    rudiment.    egg, germ, embryo, bud, root, radix radical, etymon, nucleus, seed, stem, stock, stirps, trunk, tap-root, gemmule^†, radicle, semen, sperm.    nest, cradle, nursery, womb, nidus, birthplace, hotbed.    causality, causation; origination; production etc. 161.    ... show more

Dutch: motivering, principe, ratio, beginsel