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.

---

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

---

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

Vanessa Larco, co-founder of venture firm Premise Venture Partners, says that this week so far, “it seems like we are all working.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

In 1961, Hackman joined an improvisational troupe directed by Morrison called the Premise; the same year, he made his first appearance in film as a cop in the Depression-era gangster film “Mad Dog Coll.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025

Premise 2 claims that the necessary condition is the case.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Premise Data also noted that Halloween traditionally suffers less from supply chain shortages due to its relatively small reliance on Asian goods, compared to the winter holidays.

From Washington Times • Nov. 3, 2021

Minor Premise: One man can dig a posthole in sixty seconds; therefore— Conclusion: Sixty men can dig a posthole in one second.

From The Devil's Dictionary by Bierce, Ambrose

Related Words

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