premise

A building and the land around it, usually referred to in the plural.

• Smoking is forbidden on these premises.
• The company moved to larger premises last year.
• Please leave the premises before we close the gates.

Similar words: property

Common phrases: business premise, commercial premise, private premise

An idea you accept as true and use as the starting point for an argument or explanation.

• Your argument rests on a false premise.
• The basic premise is that people want to help.
• Do you accept the premise behind this theory?

How to use it: on the premise that… (We planned the trip on the premise that everyone could swim.)

Similar words: assumption, proposition

Common phrases: basic premise, false premise, premise of something, initial premise

To state an idea as a starting point for further reasoning.

• Let me premise one point before we begin.
• The author premises that people act from self-interest.
• She premised her argument with a statement about human nature.

How to use it: premise that… (Let us premise that the figures are accurate.)

Similar words: postulate, assume

Common phrases: premise an argument, premise that something