premise

Etymology

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”). The sense "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.

noun

1. A proposition antecedently supposed or proved; something previously stated or assumed as the basis of further argument; a condition; a supposition.
2. (logic) Any of the first propositions of a syllogism, from which the conclusion is deduced.
3. (usually in the plural, law) Matters previously stated or set forth; especially, 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.
4. (usually in the plural) A piece of real estate; a building and its adjuncts.
   trespass on another’s premises
   On the premises is a beautiful lawn, well stocked with flowering shrubs; hard and soft water. 1899-09-27, The Daily Review (Peterborough, Ont., Canada), volume 37, number 72, page 1a
5. (authorship) The fundamental concept that drives the plot of a film or other story.
   In 1949, the simple premise of discovering ordinary people who have hidden, extraordinary talents came to prominence in the UK with Opportunity Knocks, which started out as a nationwide touring radio show, before moving onto TV in 1956. September 15 2021, Laura Martin, “How talent shows became TV's most bizarre programmes”, in BBC

verb

1. To state or assume something as a proposition to an argument.
2. To make a premise.
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.
   Having premised thus much, we will now detain those who like our bill of fare no longer from their diet, and shall proceed directly to serve up the first course of our history for their entertainment. 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
4. To send before the time, or beforehand; hence, to cause to be before something else; to employ previously.
   1794–1796, Erasmus Darwin, Zoonomia if venesection can be previously performed, even to but few ounces, the effect of the opium is much more certain; and still more so, if there be time to premise a brisk cathartic, or even an emetic