Premises

Premises is a term with several related meanings centered on a place or set of places. In real estate and business, it refers to a building or land owned or used by a person or organization, including the structures on the site and the surrounding property. Common phrases such as on the premises and off the premises denote location relative to that property. The term is used in leases, sales, and regulatory contexts to identify the place where activities occur.

In property law, the premises typically encompass the physical site and the rights attached to it, including access, use, and development. Responsibility for maintenance, safety, and compliance generally rests with the owner or occupier. Premises liability is a legal concept that assigns a duty to keep the property safe and to warn or address hazards that could injure visitors.

In logic and argumentation, a premise (plural premises) is a statement that supports or provides grounds for a conclusion. An argument consists of premises and a conclusion, and the truth of the premises is intended to make the conclusion credible. The term is widely used in philosophy, mathematics, and everyday reasoning.

Usage note: while premises is most often treated as plural in the sense of a property, some contexts treat the premises as a single entity; guidelines vary by jurisdiction and style guide. In practice, 'premises' is typically followed by a plural verb when referring to the property (the premises are...).