Micawber principle
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Micawber principle
Where it comes from
From the Dickens character Wilkins Micawber, noted for his inability to work his way out of poverty. Two of his enunciations have become elevated to "principles":
* "Something will turn up."
* "Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, result misery."
noun Micawber principles
- The claim that something good will turn up, especially when used to justify optimism. Acting on the Micawber principle of always expecting 'something to turn up,' he is ever on the watch, and the way that at times 'he gets to a catch' is wonderful.
- The claim that financial surplus is success and debt is failure. The Micawber principle is clearly basically an aspect of the crude growth maximisation approach. The underlying idea is that underfulfilment, even by a fraction, should be perceived as something essentially shameful.
Talk about this word "Micawber principle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/micawber%20principle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Micawber principle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/micawber%20principle "Micawber principle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/micawber%20principle.Cite this
@misc{micawber_principle_2026,
title = {Micawber principle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/micawber%20principle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
