false premise

American  

[fawls prem-is] / ˈfɔls ˈprɛm ɪs /

noun

1. Logic. an incorrect proposition that, by forming the basis of an argument, will almost certainly lead to an invalid or logically unsound conclusion.

2. a lie, such as one deliberately established to support a conclusion or inference that obscures the truth.

   By devising the elaborate false premise of her inability to walk, the thief avoided suspicion for the burglaries in her building.

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Etymology

Origin of false premise

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

They rely on the false premise that generators will be able to supply power at a lower cost than regulated utilities, which have a much lower cost of capital.

From Barron's

The idea that a resource advisor would be able to significantly inhibit a fire fight or a mop-up operation “is a false premise,” he said, “in the sense that resource advisors are just that — they are advisors. They do not make decisions, they do not lead crews, they do not tell people what to do.”

From Los Angeles Times

Time-travel paradoxes rest on the false premise that events exist as revisitable locations.

From Science Daily

Wolff added, "It is a simple-minded argument based on the false premise that the comparably large bureaucracies of mega-corporations and governments either do not exist or do not matter."

From Salon

There may have been a return of sponsors to the team, but this whole notion of renewed enthusiasm – at least among the fans in the stands – is built on a false premise, and it’s insulting to pretend otherwise.

From Washington Times