premise
n. countablen. an idea or statement that you accept as true and use as the base for an argument or story. If the starting idea is wrong, the conclusion will usually be wrong too.
n. a previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion. Often functions as the underlying assumption of an argument or the foundational concept of a fictional plot.
The whole argument is based on a false premise.
The movie's premise is that humans have lost the ability to dream, leading to a global crisis of creativity.
If we accept the premise that all citizens deserve equal access to healthcare, then the current insurance model requires a fundamental structural overhaul to meet that ethical standard.
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”). Sense 4, 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.
Commonly used with the verbs 'accept', 'reject', or 'challenge'. Often followed by a 'that' clause to explain the specific idea.
The premise for the argumentThe premise of the argumentWhile 'for' is sometimes used in casual speech, 'of' is the standard preposition used to link the premise to the conclusion or work it supports.