false premise

[ fawls prem-is ]

noun

1. Logic. an incorrect proposition that, by forming the basis of an argument, will almost certainly lead to an invalid or logically unsound conclusion.
2. a lie, such as one deliberately established to support a conclusion or inference that obscures the truth:

   By devising the elaborate false premise of her inability to walk, the thief avoided suspicion for the burglaries in her building.

Word History and Origins

Origin of false premise¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

When replicated at a larger scale, this can lead to false memories—something we see everywhere from boomer Facebook groups bemoaning the disappearance of “proper binmen” to political movements that exploit these feelings of nostalgia, which essentially trade on the false premise that everything was better in the past.

From Slate

So remember this: After whipsawing the nation through his dumb and vicious shitshow of a first term, nearly capsizing the ship of state by inciting thousands of morons to riot over the false premise that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from him, and becoming the first president in American history to be twice impeached, Donald Trump decided to run for president in 2024 primarily so that he might avoid facing punishment for his many alleged crimes.

From Slate

Wolff added, "It is a simple-minded argument based on the false premise that the comparably large bureaucracies of mega-corporations and governments either do not exist or do not matter."

From Salon

Republicans rely on a false premise when they allege, as Comer has, that Democrats “cheapened impeachment when they impeached Donald Trump twice.”

From Los Angeles Times

Even though Trump was a failed businessman with multiple bankruptcies under his belt, Burnett tapped him to host "The Apprentice," a reality show built on the deeply false premise that Trump has business acumen.

From Salon