premise

[prem-is]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR premise ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Also prem·iss. Logic. a proposition supporting or helping to support a conclusion.

premises,

a tract of land including its buildings.
a building together with its grounds or other appurtenances.
the property forming the subject of a conveyance or bequest.

Law.

a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds.
an earlier statement in a document.
(in a bill in equity) the statement of facts upon which the complaint is based.

verb (used with object), prem·ised, prem·is·ing.

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

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

verb (used without object), prem·ised, prem·is·ing.

to state or assume a premise.

Origin of premise

1325–75; Middle English premiss < Medieval Latin praemissa, noun use of feminine of Latin praemissus past participle of praemittere to send before, equivalent to prae- pre- + mittere to send. See dismiss, remiss

Related formsre·prem·ise, verb, re·prem·ised, re·prem·is·ing.

Can be confusedassumption axiom premise presumptionpremise premises

Synonyms for premise

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR premise ON THESAURUS.COM

1. assumption, postulate. 5. postulate, hypothesize.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for premises

office, house, scene, terrace, home, campus, layout, zone, fix, pad, establishment, flat, plant, hangout, spot, joint, lay, land, roof, place

Examples from the Web for premises

Contemporary Examples of premises

Ben invigorated the Post building just by being in it, just by being on the premises.
Ben Bradlee Was the Last of the Newspaper Giants
Tom Shales
October 22, 2014
Some factories do not employ Muslims on the premises who can oversee the process, Nana said.
Inside The Growing Organic Halal Movement
Sharon Adarlo
September 7, 2014
Both are prohibited from leaving the premises for security reasons.
Beating Cancer & Dodging Israel's Bombs
Itay Hod
September 1, 2014
The men demanded to be allowed inside, claiming there were reports of minors drinking on the premises.
A Report From the Misunderstood Gathering of the Juggalos
Steve Miller
July 28, 2014
By late afternoon Thursday, the Boston Police had reportedly cited TD Garden for having intoxicated minors on its premises.
Don't Blame Avicii For His Druggy Tour
Abby Haglage
June 27, 2014

Historical Examples of premises

And, certainly, a truer deduction than this has never been drawn from any premises whatever.
Ridgeway
Scian Dubh
Though I should allow your premises, I must deny your conclusion.
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
David Hume
But we put it on the irrefragable logic of the materialist's own premises and conclusions.
Life: Its True Genesis
R. W. Wright
And what, at this rate, is the general conclusion to be drawn from the premises?
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
It did not occur to her to question his right to be on Mrs. Camp's premises.
Four Girls and a Compact
Annie Hamilton Donnell

British Dictionary definitions for premises

premises

pl n

a piece of land together with its buildings, esp considered as a place of business

law

(in a deed, etc) the matters referred to previously; the aforesaid; the foregoing
the introductory part of a grant, conveyance, etc

law (in the US) the part of a bill in equity that states the names of the parties, details of the plaintiff's claims, etc

premise

noun (ˈprɛmɪs)

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

verb (prɪˈmaɪz, ˈprɛmɪs)

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

Word Origin for premise

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for premises

"building and grounds," 1730; see premise (n.).

premise

late 14c., in logic, "a previous proposition from which another follows," from Old French premisse (14c.), from Medieval Latin premissa (propositio or sententia) "(the proposition) set before," noun use of fem. past participle of Latin praemittere "send forward, put before," from prae "before" (see pre-) + mittere "to send" (see mission). In legal documents it meant "matter previously stated" (early 15c.), which in deeds or wills often was a house or building, hence the extended meaning "house or building, with grounds" (1730).

premise

"to state before something else," mid-15c., from premise (n.). Related: Premised; premising.