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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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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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.
The BDA also said the regulatory regime in Northern Ireland is "falling short" because of RQIA's "inability to regulate certain premises where the practice of dentistry is being carried out".
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The new language proposal - similar to one already in force in the capital Kyiv and some other cities – would urge but not require private premises including shops and cafes to adopt the ban.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
It wasn’t like today’s full-menu A&W restaurants—it sold root beer only, made fresh on the premises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
A server built around the same four processors costs about $75,500 to put on your own premises.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
An examination was quietly begun by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency off the bank premises to preclude local panic.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
