The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MORALIST
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
M
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More clues leading to the result MORALIST
- Perhaps preacher’s examination marginalised by lack of clarity?
- Fret about exam for puritan
- Philosopher recalled memory of top people
- Righteous person‘s spoken wearing veil
- The majority accepting bad liar is a principled person
- Principled person‘s haze about exam
- Mass said first for puritan
- One preaching’s spoken in drizzle
- A principled lecturer failed in hearing about exam
- Pontificator’s spoken, delving into something that’s hazy
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "a principled person" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a principled person = moralist.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MORALIST mean?
MORALIST noun- One who bases all decisions on perceived morals, especially one who enforces them with censorship.
- A teacher of morals.