premise

/ˈprɛməs/

/ˈprɛmɪs/

Other forms: premises; premised; premising

A premise is what forms the basis of a theory or a plot. When you called 911 on the guy in your back yard, it was on the premise that he was a thief and not the meter-reader.

In logic, the premise is the basic statement upon whose truth an argument is based. Criticize alternative theories by demonstrating their false premises. In a more general sense, it's a basic assertion. On the premise that people are generally good, you keep your doors unlocked. Premise is also used more loosely for the starting point for a plot. A movie's premise could be that two people trapped on a desert island will inevitably fall in love.

Definitions of premise

1. noun

   a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn
   synonyms: assumption, premiss

   types:

   major premise, major premiss

   the premise of a syllogism that contains the major term (which is the predicate of the conclusion)

   minor premise, minor premiss, subsumption

   the premise of a syllogism that contains the minor term (which is the subject of the conclusion)

   thesis

   an unproved statement put forward as a premise in an argument

   condition, precondition, stipulation

   an assumption on which rests the validity or effect of something else

   scenario

   a postulated sequence of possible events

   warrant

   (rhetoric) an assumption or underlying belief that connects evidence to a claim

   boundary condition

   (mathematics) a condition specified for the solution to a set of differential equations

   provision, proviso

   a stipulated condition

   type of:

   posit, postulate

   (logic) a proposition that is accepted as true in order to provide a basis for logical reasoning
2. verb

   set forth beforehand, often as an explanation
   “He premised these remarks so that his readers might understand”

   type of:

   exposit, expound, set forth

   state
3. verb

   furnish with a preface or introduction
   synonyms: introduce, precede, preface

   types:

   preamble

   make a preliminary introduction, usually to a formal document

   prologise, prologize, prologuize

   write or speak a prologue

   type of:

   say, state, tell

   express in words
4. verb

   take something as preexisting and given
   synonyms: premiss

   type of:

   presuppose, suppose

   take for granted or as a given; suppose beforehand