Principieel

Principieel is a Dutch adjective that translates roughly as “principled” or “in principle” in English. It describes a person, stance, or action that adheres strictly to a defined set of rules, beliefs, or ethical standards. The term can indicate moral consistency, intellectual rigor, or a theoretical approach grounded in general principles rather than expedience.

Usage of the word often concerns people who insist on acting in line with their principles, for example in phrases like “een principieel standpunt innemen” (to take a principled stand) or “op principiële gronden weigeren” (to refuse on principled grounds). Depending on context, principieel can carry positive connotations of integrity and consistency, or negative ones of rigidity and inflexibility.

In contrast to principieel, the two-word expression “in principe” means “in theory” or “in principle” and denotes a hypothetical or general principle rather than a behavior driven by fixed values. It is used to distinguish theoretical acceptability from practical implementation.

Etymology usually traces principieel to the noun principe (principle), with roots in older Dutch and ultimately from French or Latin principium. The suffix -eel forms adjectives indicating relation or characteristic, yielding a term that describes either a principled disposition or a principle-based approach.

See also: principle, principium, in principe.