Premise
/ˈprɛmɪs/
nounverbB2
Definition
As a noun, "premise" means a basic idea or statement that supports a conclusion or argument. It is something you accept as true to build further ideas or reasoning. It can also mean a building and the land around it, often used in business or legal contexts. As a verb, "to premise" means to base a statement or argument on a particular idea.
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See It in Action
A basic idea or statement used as a starting point for reasoning or arguments
- •The argument was based on the false premise that everyone agrees on the rules.
- •His conclusion did not follow from the premise he gave.
- •In logic, a premise supports the conclusion of an argument.
A building and the land around it (usually plural: premises)
- •Smoking is not allowed on these premises.
- •The company moved to new premises downtown.
- •The police searched the premises for evidence.
(verb) To base an argument or story on a particular idea
- •The movie is premised on the idea that time travel is possible.
- •His theory is premised on recent scientific discoveries.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "premise" like "idea," but it is the most important idea that everything else depends on.
- ✓Picture a house built on a strong foundation; the premise is like that foundation for thoughts or arguments.
- ✓It's the feeling when you start a story with "Imagine if..."—that starting idea is the premise.
- ✓Sounds like "PREM-iss" → imagine a "prem" (short for premium) idea that is the best or main one to start from.
- ✓In stories, the premise is the main situation that sets everything in motion, like in fairy tales "What if a girl lived in the woods?"
- ✓NOT like "fact" (a proven truth)—a premise can be an idea accepted for the sake of argument, not always proven.
- ✓NOT like "conclusion" (the end idea)—a premise is the starting point, not the final thought.
- ✓NOT like "building" (physical structure), but "premises" (plural) means buildings and land around them.
Try Other Words
- •Assumption: something accepted as true without proof (Use when the starting point is uncertain or taken for granted)
- •Foundation: the base or support for something (Use when emphasizing the support or base of an argument or structure)
- •Property: land and buildings (Use when referring to physical places instead of ideas)
- •Basis: the main reason or support (Use when focusing on what supports an argument or idea)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: No clear prefix or suffix; "premise" comes as a whole word.
- •Etymology: From Latin "praemissa," meaning "things sent before" or "placed in front."
- •Historical development: First used in English in the 15th century to mean a proposition or statement placed before an argument.
- •Modern usage: Used in logic and argument to mean a starting idea; also used in law and business to mean buildings and land.
Reflect & Connect
•How does the premise of a story affect how you understand the whole story?
•Can a premise be wrong? What happens if you build an argument on a wrong premise?
Fill in the blanks
1.The success of his argument depends on the ___ that all data is correct.
2.Smoking is prohibited on these ___ for safety reasons.
3.The movie's plot is ___ on the idea that people can live forever.
4.If the initial ___ is false, the conclusion may also be wrong.
5.The company relocated to new ___ near the city center last month.
6.She started her speech by explaining the basic ___ of her plan.
7.The lawyer argued that the evidence was found outside the ___ of the suspect’s property.