A principle; a general rule — the basic idea or rule that guides behavior or decisions.
私たちの会社の原則は顧客第一です。
Our company's principle is customer first.
契約の原則を理解してから署名してください。
Please understand the principles of the contract before signing.
科学の原則に基づいて実験を行った。
The experiment was carried out based on scientific principles.
As a rule; in principle; generally — used adverbially to indicate the usual or general case.
原則、社内の情報は外部に漏らしてはいけない。
As a rule, internal company information must not be disclosed externally.
原則として、遅刻は許されない。
In principle, lateness is not allowed.