first principles

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The proponents of this new set of first principles, most prominently among them the 28th president, Woodrow Wilson, called it progressivism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

He will give a speech later about his first principles - his values and his patriotism.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Jefferson articulated America’s first principles, but without Washington’s leadership, those principles wouldn’t have survived.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

But sometimes the most important work is simply clearing the debris, removing the judicial inventions that cloud the text, and returning to first principles.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2025

Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way—even by death—and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker