Etymology : in sense 1, from Middle English premisse, from Middle 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 premiss
Pronunciation :
Function : noun
Date : 14th century
1. proposition, basic assumption, presupposition, fundamental presumption. assume, hypothesize, theorize, presume, postulate. premiseyou can click anywhere, but just don't click here.premise \pre*mise"\ , v. i. to make a premise; to set forth something as a premise.premise \pre*mise"\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. premised ; p. pr. & vb. n. premising.] [from l. praemissus, p. p., or e. premise, n. see:
premise, n.].
2. to send before the time, or beforehand; hence, to cause to be before something else; to employ previously. [obs.] the premised flames of the last day. if venesection and a cathartic be premised. darwin.
3. to set forth beforehand, or as introductory to the main subject; to offer previously, as something to explain or aid in understanding what follows; especially, to lay down premises or first propositions, on which rest the subsequent reasonings. i premise these particulars that the reader may know that i enter upon it as a very ungrateful task.premise \prem"ise\ , n.; pl. premises . [written also, less properly, premiss.] [f. prémisse, fr. l. praemissus, p. p. of praemittere to send before; prae before + mittere to send. see:
mission.].
4. a proposition antecedently supposed or proved; something previously stated or assumed as the basis of further argument; a condition; a supposition. the premises observed, thy will by my performance shall be served.
5. (logic) either of the first two propositions of a syllogism, from which the conclusion is drawn.note: "all sinners deserve punishment: a b is a sinner." these propositions, which are the premises, being true or admitted, the conclusion follows, that a b deserves punishment. while the premises stand firm, it is impossible to shake the conclusion. h. more.
6. pl. (law) matters previously stated or set forth; esp., that part in the beginning of a deed, the office of which is to express the grantor and grantee, and the land or thing granted or conveyed, and all that precedes the habendum; the thing demised or granted.
7. pl. a piece of real estate; a building and its adjuncts; as, to lease premises; to trespass on another's premises.
8. A proposition antecedently supposed or proved; something previously stated or assumed as the basis of further argument; a condition; a supposition.
9. Either of the first two propositions of a syllogism, from which the conclusion is drawn.
10. Matters previously stated or set forth; esp., that part in the beginning of a deed, the office of which is to express the grantor and grantee, and the land or thing granted or conveyed, and all that precedes the habendum; the thing demised or granted.
11. A piece of real estate; a building and its adjuncts; as, to lease premises; to trespass on another's premises.
12. To send before the time, or beforehand; hence, to cause to be before something else; to employ previously.
13. To set forth beforehand, or as introductory to the main subject; to offer previously, as something to explain or aid in understanding what follows; especially, to lay down premises or first propositions, on which rest the subsequent reasonings.
14. To make a premise; to set forth something as a premise. a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn; "on the assumption that he has been injured we can infer that he will not to play" take something as preexisting and given set forth beforehand, often as an explanation; "He premised these remarks so that his readers might understand".
15. The spelling premiss is also used in British English for meaning 2..
16. The premises of a business or an institution are all the buildings and land that it occupies in one place. There is a kitchen on the premises The business moved to premises in Brompton Road.
17. A premise is something that you suppose is true and that you use as a basis for developing an idea. The premise is that schools will work harder to improve if they must compete = assumption.