premises

British  

/ ˈprɛmɪsɪz /

plural noun

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

2. law

   1. (in a deed, etc) the matters referred to previously; the aforesaid; the foregoing

   2. the introductory part of a grant, conveyance, etc

3. 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

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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.

Example Sentences

The structure, which towers over the White House, was paid for by the UFC, which is scheduled to host a series of fights on the premises.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Shake Shack still plans to open about eight licensed premises during the second quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

It will not operate in the store itself but in separate premises next door.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

More than 500 Greenlanders demonstrated this week against US President Donald Trump's desire to control the vast Arctic island, after the inauguration of the US consulate's new premises in Nuuk.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

The upshot is that physics had two theories, based on conflicting premises, that produced the same results.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson