premise

[prem-is]

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.

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

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of premise¹

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”; pre-

Word History and Origins

Origin of premise¹

C14: from Old French prémisse, from Medieval Latin praemissa sent on before, from Latin praemittere to dispatch in advance, from prae before + mittere to send

Example Sentences

“Pluribus” has been a tightly-guarded project for Apple TV with a strict embargo on details that makes it difficult to provide a lot of context to its premise.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Beyond that, its premise, regardless of any demands it makes, threatens the academic landscape.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Perhaps that reinforces the author’s premise about “edited” memories: My recollection is that the fight, like the first, was available only on closed circuit—at select theaters and arenas, not family televisions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Methods some have explored have included sharing premises to keep rent costs down.

Read more on BBC

A steady stream of tourists means there are a raft of coffee shops and bakeries and few empty premises.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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