premise

1 of 2

noun

prem·​ise ˈpre-məs How to pronounce premise (audio)
variants or less commonly premiss
1
a
: a proposition antecedently supposed or proved as a basis of argument or inference
specifically : either of the first two propositions of a syllogism from which the conclusion is drawn
b
: something assumed or taken for granted : presupposition
2
premises also premisses plural : matters previously stated
specifically : the preliminary and explanatory part of a deed or of a bill in equity
3
premises also premisses plural [from its being identified in the premises of the deed]
a
: a tract of land with the buildings thereon
b
: a building or part of a building usually with its appurtenances (such as grounds)

premise

2 of 2

verb

pre·​mise ˈpre-məs How to pronounce premise (audio)
 also  pri-ˈmīz
premised; premising

transitive verb

1
a
: to set forth beforehand as an introduction or a postulate
b
: to offer as a premise in an argument
2
3
: to base on certain assumptions

Examples of premise in a Sentence

Noun Called behavioral ecology, it starts from the premise that social and environmental forces select for various behaviors that optimize people's fitness in a given environment. Different environment, different behaviors—and different human "natures." Sharon Begley, Newsweek, 29 June 2009
Although the Voting Rights Act served, in some measure, to formalize the notion of racial representation, its consequences undermined its premise—that a transparency of interests existed between the representative and the represented. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New Yorker, 24 Oct. 1994
Thirty years ago the modesty of the general expectation was still consistent with the original American premise of self-government. Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1992
They were asked to leave the premises. The company leases part of the premises to smaller businesses. The premises were searched by the police. He disagreed with her premise. the basic premises of the argument a theory based on the simple premise that what goes up must come down Verb Niebuhr … adhered to a form of liberalism more premised on a realistic assessment of human nature than Rauschenbusch's naïve progressivism was. Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review, 21 Oct. 2007
Fears of a nuclear holocaust were fueled by President Nixon's "madman" theory of diplomacy. The madman theory was premised on the assumption that if the Soviets thought that Nixon was crazy enough to drop the bomb, they would leave us alone. Will Manley, Booklist, 1 & 15 June 2006
let us premise certain things, such as every person's need for love, before beginning our line of reasoning
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Following the premise of the show, Olivia sang a song while her dad was behind a curtain, asking the audience and the judges to figure out who her celebrity relative was. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 The film’s premise is every Wattpad reader’s dream — except their mom is the main character instead of them. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2024 Given that its central premise rests on the dynamic between Andrew Lincoln’s Rick and Danai Gurira’s Michonne, the odds of losing either one of those characters before the end of the series feel incredibly low. Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2024 Video Ad Feedback Gang violence is surging to unprecedented levels in Haiti, activist says 07:40 - Source: CNN The embassy said traffic in the area was blocked and a barricade was erected at the intersection near its premises. Michael Rios, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 House Democrats for the last several weeks have railed on the bill in the chamber's education committee and on the House floor arguing against the premise that Indiana universities need the free expression requirements. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 So, the generational shift of computing from the premise to the cloud continues. Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The prison also has about two dozen solitary confinement and other punishment cells spread across its premises. Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Or can an omni-rave this vast even have a unifying premise? Chris Richards, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024
Verb
Industry regulations are premised on the idea that workers get three hours of meal time and eight hours of sleep, including five hours of uninterrupted rest. Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 It was premised on the chains operating in different parts of the country. Rob Wile, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024 The book is premised on a counterfactual: What if the American Jewish intellectuals of the interwar period—that is, between the end of the Second World War and the Six-Day War—had been forced to wrestle with Zionism? Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024 In its loosest definition, post-work polyamory is a relationship form premised on and committed to anti-capitalism. TIME, 9 Feb. 2024 It was premised, a senior Biden official said, on elections taking place. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2024 While a sale to private equity has never been greeted by welcome banners from any newsroom, the emergence of wealthy buyers a decade ago largely was, premised on the idea that with a bottomless bank account, the news business would have time — and funding — to figure out its future. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2024 This time, Nikki Haley hoped for a shocker; indeed, her campaign was premised on it. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2024 Top Stories Welcome to the latest humiliation of a Biden-administration foreign policy premised on not being overly provocative toward our enemies. Rich Lowry, National Review, 19 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'premise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

in sense 1, from Middle English premisse, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin praemissa, from Latin, feminine of praemissus, past participle of praemittere to place ahead, from prae- pre- + mittere to send; in other senses, from Middle English premisses, from Medieval Latin praemissa, from Latin, neuter plural of praemissus

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of premise was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near premise

Cite this Entry

“Premise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premise. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

premise

1 of 2 noun
prem·​ise ˈprem-əs How to pronounce premise (audio)
1
: a statement taken to be true and used as a basis for argument or reasoning
2
plural
a
: a piece of land with the buildings on it
b
: a building or part of a building usually with its grounds

premise

2 of 2 verb
pre·​mise ˈprem-əs How to pronounce premise (audio)
pri-ˈmīz
premised; premising
: to base on certain assumptions
a conclusion premised on stereotypes

More from Merriam-Webster on premise

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