premise

American  

[prem-is] / ˈprɛm ɪs /

noun

premises plural

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)

premises, present (3rd person singular) premised, past participle, past premising present participle

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)

premises, present (3rd person singular) premised, past participle, past premising present participle

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

Derived Forms

• repremise
  verb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• premises
  plural

Participles

• premising
  present
• premised
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• premise
  simple
• premises
  simple
• have premised
  perfect
• has premised
  perfect
• am premising
  progressive
• are premising
  progressive
• is premising
  progressive
• have been premising
  perfect progressive
• has been premising
  perfect progressive

Past

• premised
  simple
• had premised
  perfect
• was premising
  progressive
• were premising
  progressive
• had been premising
  perfect progressive

Future

• will premise
  simple
• will have premised
  perfect
• will be premising
  progressive
• will have been premising
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

premise premises premised premising

“Importantly, these types of partnerships are created on the premise of connection as friends, not romance,” the firm notes.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

In adapting the premise for TV, series creator Nick Antosca dilutes the movies’ naked menace by pouring reasonable doubt into both Max’s profile and that of the Bowdens, the married lawyers behind his downfall.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

“The whole premise of our platform is to be able to trade on any future event,” said Clarissa Bronfman, Kalshi’s lead of culture growth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

"My premise is that our acquiescence to these claims has led to the AI mess in which we find ourselves today."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

The premise is challenging and conceptual, but fascinating.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

"I work close to the Legacy premises... and drive past it every day. Knowing now that mum was lying inside for almost eight months destroys me," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Cleveland Police said it received a report of a break-in at the premises at around 07:40 BST on Tuesday.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

That, combined with big upward adjustments to rateable values of pub premises, left landlords with the prospect of much higher rates bills.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

There is an alert across the entire premises for Leonardo DiCaprio with a baseball cap pulled low.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

The hurry-scurry, the angry hum of recent weeks had departed; a quivering stillness now permeated the premises.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

But he premised his conclusion only on statutory grounds; specifically, the Nationality Act of 1940.

From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026

Trademarks, unlike copyrights or patents, are intellectual property that are not premised on creating value for whoever registers them; they’re about protecting consumers.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

He also rejected the notion that he would do Big Tech’s bidding, and the idea that his support from tech leaders is entirely or even largely premised on his plans for their industry.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

The 2026 fuel subsidy calculation was premised on a global oil price of $70 per barrel, but prices have since topped $100.

From Barron's ● Mar. 31, 2026

In retrospect, their ignorance seems incredible—but, then, an entire financial system was premised on their not knowing, and paying them for this talent.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Feinstein, who is well known for her opposition to drones, is premising her legislation on safety concerns.

From Forbes ● Dec. 3, 2014

One of his most premising innovations was a new Secretariat for non-Christian religions; but Paul entrusted the project to a Curia professional, Paolo Cardinal Marella, and almost nothing has been heard of it since.

From Time Magazine Archive

This question, premising that the phrase ‘overwhelming greatness’ contains important implications which have yet to be considered, I can only answer like the last.

From Oxford Lectures on Poetry by Bradley, Andrew Cecil

Here Vidocq must tell his own tale, we premising, that Fossard's mistress styled herself Madame Hazard.—

From The American Quarterly Review, No. 17, March 1831 by Walsh, Robert

This much for externals—men and beasts included, merely premising that the whole affair was situated in a quiet detachment by itself, a few hundred yards in rear of the village.

From Los Gringos Or, An Inside View of Mexico and California, with Wanderings in Peru, Chili, and Polynesia by Wise, H. A. (Henry Augustus)

Related Words

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