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first principles


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Also see: first | principles

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
first′ prin′ciple, 
  1. any axiom, law, or abstraction assumed and regarded as representing the highest possible degree of generalization.

'first principles' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
element - elemental - elementary - empirical - ground - metaphysic - metaphysical - metaphysics - reason - rudiment - rudimentary

Forum discussions with the word(s) "first principles" in the title:


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