premise

American  

[prem-is] / ˈprɛm ɪs /

noun

1. Logic. Also premiss. a proposition supporting or helping to support a conclusion.

   Synonyms:

   postulate, assumption

2. premises,

   1. a tract of land including its buildings.

   2. a building together with its grounds or other appurtenances.

   3. the property forming the subject of a conveyance or bequest.

3. Law.

   1. a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds.

   2. an earlier statement in a document.

   3. (in a bill in equity) the statement of facts upon which the complaint is based.

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verb (used with object)

premised, premising

1. to set forth beforehand, as by way of introduction or explanation.

2. to assume, either explicitly or implicitly, (a proposition) as a premise for a conclusion.

   Synonyms:

   hypothesize, postulate

verb (used without object)

premised, premising

1. to state or assume a premise.

premise British  

noun

1. Also: premiss.  logic a statement that is assumed to be true for the purpose of an argument from which a conclusion is drawn

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verb

1. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to state or assume (a proposition) as a premise in an argument, theory, etc

Other Word Forms

• repremise
  verb

Etymology

Origin of premise

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English premiss, from Medieval Latin praemissa, noun use of feminine of Latin praemissus, past participle of praemittere “to send before,” equivalent to prae- “before, in front, ahead,” + mittere “to send”; see pre-

Explanation

A premise is what forms the basis of a theory or a plot. When you called 911 on the guy in your back yard, it was on the premise that he was a thief and not the meter-reader. In logic, the premise is the basic statement upon whose truth an argument is based. Criticize alternative theories by demonstrating their false premises. In a more general sense, it's a basic assertion. On the premise that people are generally good, you keep your doors unlocked. Premise is also used more loosely for the starting point for a plot. A movie's premise could be that two people trapped on a desert island will inevitably fall in love.

Example Sentences

The premise started off with somebody watching news in a diner or a small restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

Despite cinema’s extensive library of cheerful animal heroes, led by “Babe” and Wilbur of “Charlotte’s Web,” the titular premise of “The Sheep Detectives” apparently strikes many people as bizarre.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

That's the premise of 1536, the Tudor-set play that has arrived in London's West End with backing from Hollywood star Margot Robbie.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

And isn’t it a premise of the tax system that we each pay for services we don’t want or don’t need, because we expect others to do likewise?

From Slate • May 11, 2026

Enquiries based on this premise are bound to conclude that the claims made on behalf of well-founded beliefs are excessive because that conclusion is built into the methodology.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• assertion
• assumption
• basis
• ground
• presumption
• proposition
• thesis