Premise
/ˈprɛm.ɪs/noun
A proposition or statement on which an argument, theory, or action is based.
Did you know?Premise entered English through Anglo-French and Late Latin, ultimately from a verb meaning “to send before,” which is why it originally referred to something placed in advance rather than a mystical or hidden truth.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
praemittere
“to send before”
Late Latin
Latin
praemissa
“something sent before; a preliminary statement”
Old French
Old French
premise
“a prior statement or assumption”
Middle English
English
premyse
“a proposition placed before others in reasoning”
Modern English
English
premise
“a statement or idea that forms the basis of an argument or action”