prin·cip·i·um

[prin-sip-ee-uhm]
noun, plural prin·cip·i·a [-sip-ee-uh] .
a principle.

Origin:
1575–85; < Latin prīncipium literally, that which is first, equivalent to prīncip- (see prince) + -ium -ium

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To principium
Collins
World English Dictionary
principium (prɪnˈsɪpɪəm) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -ia
(usually plural) a principle, esp a fundamental one
 
[C17: Latin: an origin, beginning]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Principium is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Example sentences
One of the legal principium, which must apply when interpreting a zoning ordinance, is that the ordinance must be read as a whole.
Related Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT