premises
Britishplural noun
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a piece of land together with its buildings, esp considered as a place of business
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law
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(in a deed, etc) the matters referred to previously; the aforesaid; the foregoing
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the introductory part of a grant, conveyance, etc
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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
Explanation
The premises of a property consist of the land and buildings on it, usually of a business or organization. If there are no dogs allowed on the premises of a school, you'll have to leave your furry friend at home. A game of hide-and-go-seek where you can’t leave the house will go a lot faster than one that permits hiding anywhere on the premises, including outdoors. Premises has another, unrelated meaning — it can also be the assumption or hypothesis from which a conclusion is drawn. The English writer Samuel Butler said, “Life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises.” Meaning, much of life is about guesswork.
Vocabulary lists containing premises
Holes
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One thing to note: There are no TVs on the premises.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
North Hertfordshire Council has granted SJM Concerts a premises licence for Knebworth House, which came into effect on Saturday and will remain in place indefinitely.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
County officials did not remove any dogs from the premises but instead served the facility with an order to treat three dogs with veterinary care.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Unidentified ashes in mouldy boxes and excrement and bodily fluids on the floor of the Hessle Road premises were among the other disturbing discoveries.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
“But then what is left? The Machines themselves are correct and the premises they work on are correct. That we have agreed upon. Now you say that it cannot be disobeyed. Then what is wrong?”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
