premises
PREH-mih-sihz
Premises (noun) means a piece of land together with the buildings on it, especially as a single property. Example: “The shop owner locked up the premises and went home for the night.”
noun
1
A piece of land together with the buildings on it, especially as a single property.
"The shop owner locked up the premises and went home for the night."
"Visitors must sign in before entering the premises."
"Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the premises."
How to use premises
Learner’s notesIn 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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The shop owner locked up the _____ and went home for the night.
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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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