premise

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. the main idea or situation that starts the plot of a book or movie.

n. the fundamental concept or situational setup that drives the narrative of a fictional work.

“The movie has an interesting premise, but the ending was very disappointing.”

“Critics praised the novel's original premise, which imagines a world where the industrial revolution never occurred.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun Law Formal

n. a building and the land that belongs to it.

n. a piece of real estate including the land and the buildings on it. Almost exclusively used in the plural form 'premises'.

“Smoking is strictly forbidden on the school premises.”

“Security personnel are authorised to remove any individual found trespassing on the factory premises after business hours.”

C2 · Proficiency Formal · Academic

v. to base an argument or theory on a particular idea.

v. to set forth a proposition as an antecedent or to base a subsequent argument upon a specific assumption.

“The new law is premised on the idea that everyone deserves a fair trial.”

“The entire reform package was premised upon the assumption that tax revenues would continue to grow at five percent annually.”