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premise

[ prem-is ]
/ ˈprɛm ɪs /
||
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noun

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

RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

  1. premillenarian,
  2. premillennial,
  3. premillennialism,
  4. premillennialize,
  5. preminger,
  6. premised,
  7. premises,
  8. premiss,
  9. premium,
  10. premium loan

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

Examples from the Web for premises

British Dictionary definitions for premises (1 of 2)

premises

/ (ˈprɛmɪsɪz) /

pl n

a piece of land together with its buildings, esp considered as a place of business
law
  1. (in a deed, etc) the matters referred to previously; the aforesaid; the foregoing
  2. 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

British Dictionary definitions for premises (2 of 2)

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