premise

[ prem-is ]

noun

1. Also premiss. Logic. a proposition supporting or helping to support a conclusion.

   Synonyms: postulate, assumption

2. 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.
3. 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.

1. to set forth beforehand, as by way of introduction or explanation.
2. to assume, either explicitly or implicitly, (a proposition) as a premise for a conclusion.

   Synonyms: hypothesize, postulate

verb (used without object)

, prem·ised, prem·is·ing.

1. to state or assume a premise.

premise

noun

1. Alsopremiss logic a statement that is assumed to be true for the purpose of an argument from which a conclusion is drawn

verb

1. when tr, may take a clause as object to state or assume (a proposition) as a premise in an argument, theory, etc

Other Words From

• re·premise verb repremised repremising

Word History and Origins

Origin of premise¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English premiss, from Medieval Latin praemissa, noun use of feminine of Latin praemissus, past participle of praemittere “to send before,” equivalent to prae- “before, in front, ahead,” + mittere “to send”; pre-

Word History and Origins

Origin of premise¹

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

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

The problem with that premise is, of course, that the Harris-Walz campaign is reportedly in debt to the tune of $20 million, and it appears the operation is attempting to strip the wires from the walls in order to fend off its creditors.

From Slate

“Historically, it was just seven islands that was bridged by the British East India Company to make it a port because they lost their port in Surat. So the whole premise of the city comes from a super-capitalistic, colonialist past. And the city remains in a state of flux. Developers are grabbing areas where people have lived for years. Women move there to feel more liberated, but there’s an impermanence as well.”

From Los Angeles Times

Well, I wanted to not play another mom right away, because I exhausted that premise.

From Los Angeles Times

Not everyone is on board with this premise.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assertion
• assumption
• basis
• ground
• presumption
• proposition
• thesis