Premise

Premise is a proposition or assumption that forms the basis of reasoning or storytelling. In logic and argumentation, premises are statements accepted as true within a framework; together with a conclusion, they constitute an argument. The truth of premises does not by itself guarantee a correct conclusion unless the argument’s form is valid. Conversely, a valid argument can have premises that are false.

In fiction and film, premise refers to the central idea or setup that drives the story. It describes the situation, constraints, and goals that characters face, often summarized in an “what if” statement. A story’s premise helps distinguish the core concept from its execution, tone, and thematic elements.

Etymology and usage notes: premise comes from the Latin premissa, meaning “things placed before.” In English, premise (singular) is used in logic, while premises (plural) denotes a building or parcel of property, or the grounds of a place. The property sense is common in phrases like “on the premises,” which is unrelated to the logical sense.

Related terms include axiom or postulate for foundational statements in formal systems, hypothesis for testable propositions, and assumption for unstated or taken-for-granted beliefs within an argument. Understanding the distinction between premise, assumption, and conclusion is central to clear reasoning, both in argumentative writing and narrative development.