premise

/pɹˈɛmɪs/

/ˈpɹɛmɪs/

[noun] [verb]

Premise

[NOUN]

a theory or statement that acts as the foundation of an argument

synonyms : assumption

premiss

the basic idea, concept, or foundation upon which a story is built, and often includes the central conflict, characters, setting, and overall tone or genre of the narrative

to premise

[VERB]

MAIN VERB

take something as preexisting and given

synonyms : premiss

expressive of sympathetic pleasure or joy on account of someone's success or good fortune

synonyms : congratulatory

gratulatory

set forth beforehand, often as an explanation

furnish with a preface or introduction

synonyms : introduce

precede

preface

Examples

1. The film has a very interesting premise, but the final product leaves much to be desired.

2. The game's premise and mechanics are interesting, but there's just no meat on the bone when it comes to story and gameplay variety.

3. The book had an intriguing premise, but the characters felt shallow and undeveloped.

4. Premises form the structure of your argument.