premise
[ prem-is ]
/ ˈprɛm ɪs /
noun
Also prem·iss. Logic.
a proposition supporting or helping to support a conclusion.
premises,
- a tract of land including its buildings.
- a building together with its grounds or other appurtenances.
- the property forming the subject of a conveyance or bequest.
Law.
- a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds.
- an earlier statement in a document.
- (in a bill in equity) the statement of facts upon which the complaint is based.
verb (used with object), prem·ised, prem·is·ing.
to set forth beforehand, as by way of introduction or explanation.
to assume, either explicitly or implicitly, (a proposition) as a premise for a conclusion.
verb (used without object), prem·ised, prem·is·ing.
to state or assume a premise.
Origin of premise
SYNONYMS FOR premise
historical usage of premise
The noun
premise (also spelled
premiss ) entered English in the late 14th century, originally as a term used in logic to mean “each of the two propositions in a syllogism from which the conclusion is drawn,” ultimately from the Latin phrase
prōpositiō praemissa “proposition (in a syllogism) set forth beforehand.”
Praemissa in this sense is a feminine singular adjective modifying the feminine singular noun
prōpositiō.
Praemissa is also a neuter plural past participle used as a noun meaning “matters discussed or mentioned previously” in legal documents, contracts, and wills.
By the second half of the 15th century, premiss acquired the further meaning “houses, buildings and lands previously specified in a deed,” as on a sign prominently displayed above a bar “Licensed to retail beer, wine, spirits, and tobacco to be consumed on the premises.”
By the second half of the 15th century, premiss acquired the further meaning “houses, buildings and lands previously specified in a deed,” as on a sign prominently displayed above a bar “Licensed to retail beer, wine, spirits, and tobacco to be consumed on the premises.”
OTHER WORDS FROM premise
re·prem·ise, verb, re·prem·ised, re·prem·is·ing.Words nearby premise
Example sentences from the Web for premise
British Dictionary definitions for premise
premise
noun (ˈprɛmɪs)
Also: premiss logic
a statement that is assumed to be true for the purpose of an argument from which a conclusion is drawn
verb (prɪˈmaɪz, ˈprɛmɪs)
(when tr, may take a clause as object)
to state or assume (a proposition) as a premise in an argument, theory, etc
Word Origin for premise
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