understand in principle

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "understand in principle" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to convey that you grasp the basic idea or concept of something, even if you may not fully comprehend all the details. Example: "While I may not agree with every aspect of the proposal, I understand in principle the benefits it aims to provide."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The procedure of projection matching is much easier to understand in principle, but it needs an initial model.

Chemical Reviews

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Tantalizingly, while some of the cellular responses and some of the cell-cell interactions underlying adjuvant effects are understood in principle, this understanding falls crucially short of allowing the design of vaccines to produce lasting immunity of the appropriate kind to all the infectious diseases flesh is heir to.

BMC Biology

The scale and intrusiveness of the snooping have been shocking, even to technical experts who understood, in principle, what could be done.

The Guardian - Opinion

A private language would be a language which could be generated wholly through individual acts of unshareable self-consciousness and understood, in principle, only by that individual speaker, by means of his or her self-consciousness.

SEP

Although the mechanisms underlying EC coupling in hESC-CMs are incompletely understood, in principle one can envision four potential mechanistic models for the development of a global, whole-cell [Ca2+]i transient during an AP in these cells.

Plosone

These effects are well understood in principle and have important consequences for water resource management (Eberts et al. 2013), but their implications may not be easy to visualize or communicate.

Ground Water

"I want people to understand that in principle, they have an alternative".

The New York Times

David Chalmers has argued that A-consciousness can in principle be understood in mechanistic terms, but that understanding P-consciousness is much more challenging: he calls this the hard problem of consciousness.

Wikipedia

The blueshifting of the ZnO absorption may be in principle understood in the quantum confinement due to the reduced particle dimension and the solvent effects [10], as described by the expression Figure 4 UV-visible absorbance spectra of the polymer-laced ZnO-Au hybrid nanoparticles dispersed in different solvents.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Some writers, such as G. A. Cohen, think that Rawls ought to understand his principle in this way, in view of the principle's rationale).

SEP

Particularists then argue that holism in the theory of reasons in turn supports the conclusion that morality is not well understood in terms of principles (for critical discussion of this move, see McKeever and Ridge 2005b).

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "understand in principle" when you want to indicate that someone grasps the basic idea or concept, even if they don't know all the specifics or have worked out all the implications.

Common error

Avoid using "understand in principle" when you actually mean that someone fully understands something. It's for situations where the understanding is partial or theoretical.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "understand in principle" functions as an adverbial phrase that modifies a verb. It indicates the nature or extent of understanding. Ludwig AI confirms its usage is correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

20%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "understand in principle" is a grammatically correct prepositional phrase used to indicate a basic or conceptual understanding of a topic, even without complete knowledge. As Ludwig AI highlights, its meaning is clear and its usage correct. It appears frequently in scientific, news, and encyclopedic contexts, which means is suitable for formal and informal communications. When you want to convey complete and thorough comprehension, it's recommended to use alternative phrases like "grasp the concept" or "comprehend the basics".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

grasp the concept

Focuses on having a basic comprehension of the idea.

comprehend the basics

Highlights understanding the foundational aspects.

generally understand

Emphasizes a broad, non-specific level of understanding.

have a working knowledge

Suggests practical understanding sufficient for basic application.

know the fundamentals

Focuses on understanding the core principles.

conceptually understand

Stresses understanding the underlying concepts.

appreciate the idea

Implies an understanding and recognition of the value or importance of the concept.

get the gist

Suggests understanding the main point without needing all the details.

see the big picture

Emphasizes understanding the overall context or implications.

have a rudimentary understanding

Highlights a basic, initial level of comprehension.

FAQs

How can I use "understand in principle" in a sentence?

You can use "understand in principle" to indicate a basic understanding of a concept, even without knowing all the details. For example: "I "understand in principle" the theory of relativity, but I'd struggle to explain it in detail."

What's the difference between "understand in principle" and "fully understand"?

"Understand in principle" implies a basic grasp of the concept, while "fully understand" means having a complete and thorough comprehension.

What can I say instead of "understand in principle"?

You can use alternatives like "grasp the concept", "comprehend the basics", or "generally understand" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "understand in principle" in formal writing?

Yes, "understand in principle" is appropriate for formal writing, especially when discussing theoretical concepts or situations where a complete understanding is not yet achieved. You can also use "have a working knowledge" in order to have a similar meaning.