noun
premise
PREHM-ihs
noun
1
A statement or idea assumed to be true and used as the basis for an argument or story.
"His whole argument rests on a shaky premise."
"The film's premise is that memories can be bought and sold."
verb
1
To base an argument or statement on a stated assumption.
"The plan is premised on steady economic growth."
How to Use Premise
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA starting assumption or idea that an argument, plan, or story is built on.
Common mistake
Don't confuse the singular "premise" (an assumption) with the plural "premises" (a building and its grounds) — they're historically related but used very differently today.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
basic premise
false premise
premise of the film
Word Forms
premised past tense, premises plural, premises singular
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His whole argument rests on a shaky _____.
Etymology
From Old French premisse, from Medieval Latin premissa ("set before"), from Latin praemittere ("to send before"), from prae- ("before") plus mittere ("to send").