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noun C1 Advanced Common

premises

PREH-mih-sihz

Premises (noun) means a piece of land together with the buildings on it, especially as a single property. Example: “Visitors must sign in before entering the premises.”

noun
1
A piece of land together with the buildings on it, especially as a single property.
"Visitors must sign in before entering the premises."
"Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the premises."

How to Use Premises

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe building and grounds of a property, treated as one place.

Common mistake

This word is always plural in this sense, even for a single building — you don't say "a premise" to mean a property. That singular form means an assumption instead.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
on the premises leave the premises
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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Visitors must sign in before entering the _____.

Related Words

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “premises” mean?

The word “premises” means a piece of land together with the buildings on it, especially as a single property. In plain terms, the building and grounds of a property, treated as one place.

How do you pronounce “premises”?

“Premises” is pronounced PREH-mih-sihz (/ˈpɹɛmɪsɪz/ in IPA).

How do you use “premises” in a sentence?

Here is “premises” used in a sentence: “Visitors must sign in before entering the premises.”

What part of speech is “premises”?

“Premises” is a noun.

Is “premises” a common word?

“Premises” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

Is premises singular or plural?

Premises always takes a plural verb, even when it refers to a single property: "the premises are locked," not "is locked." There is no singular "premise" in the property sense, so one shop and ten shops are both premises.

What is the difference between premises and premise?

Premises means a piece of land together with its buildings, treated as a single property. A premise is a statement or idea that an argument or story is based on. Writing "business premise" for a property is a common error; the property word is always premises.

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