Meaning of premise

(noun) a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn; "on the assumption that he has been injured we can infer that he will not play"

(adj) expressive of sympathetic pleasure or joy on account of someone's success or good fortune; "a congratulatory telegram"; "the usual congratulatory crowd was conspicuously absent"; "a gratulatory address"

(verb) furnish with a preface or introduction; "She always precedes her lectures with a joke"; "He prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution"

take something as preexisting and given