premise

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A statement or idea that is accepted as true and used as the basis for an argument.

   The whole plan rests on the premise that prices will keep rising.

2. 2
   noun

   A building and the land it stands on, used by a business or organization.

   Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the premises.

3. 3
   verb

   To base an argument or theory on a particular idea.

   Her theory is premised on the idea that people act rationally.

From Middle English premise, premisse, from Old French premisse, from Medieval Latin premissa (“set before”) (premissa propositio (“the proposition set before”)), feminine past participle of Latin praemittere (“to send or put before”), from prae- (“before”) + mittere (“to send”). Sense 4, a piece of real estate arose from the misinterpretation of the word by property owners while reading title deeds where the word was used with the legal sense.

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