From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpreceptpre‧cept /ˈpriːsept/ noun [countable] formalRPGOOD/MORAL a rule on which a way of thinking or behaving is based basic moral precepts
Examples from the Corpus
precept• Accordingly, this book shines a spotlight on the Centralism precepts, and on the practices they yield.• Every question was considered in light of the King's conscience and of divine precepts.• He took words and ideas seriously and felt that having accepted a moral precept he had to live it.• And even for the prevailing types most precepts prove transitory.• In other words we would have been better off cashing the precept and keeping the money under the mattress.• When one embraces the precepts of Centralism it can lead in no other direction than organizing big.• Use of the equation is based on the precept that particles are dominantly spheres and are of identical densities.• Slaveholders fostered misery amongst their slaves; they clearly did not act upon the precept of loving their neighbours.Origin precept (1300-1400) Latin praeceptum, from praecipere “to take beforehand, give instruction to” 