foundational premise

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "foundational premise" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to an idea or assumption that is the basis of an argument or reasoning. For example, "The foundational premise of my argument is that all individuals should have equal access to healthcare."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

They believe in the "foundational premise" of the pro-life cause, which is that unborn children are human beings from the moment of conception, but they also have a strong intuition that women should be able to have abortions in cases of rape or incest.

The New Yorker

The memorial commemorated the terror attack of 9/11 and NATO's response, manifesting the foundational premise underpinning NATO, set forth in Article 5 of the NATO Charter, that an attack against one member was an attack against all. .

Huffington Post

The foundational premise of the piece is that higher education must now "make up for the mistakes it made in what I call the industry's 'lost decade,' from 1999 to 2009.

Huffington Post

Mary recalls our several shows on her favorite book of 2012, Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind, which explained how most of us come to intuitive decisions and then search for rationalizations so we don't have to listen to people on the other side... which is a foundational premise of the need for a Both Sides Now.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

This orientation is clearly presented in related foundational premises (FPs) of S-D logic [2].

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Rather than setting out his philosophy comprehensively in the form of a system based on foundational premises, Leibowitz generally wrote short articles devoted to specific topics.

SEP

The foundational premises of the LC4MP is that humans have a limited amount of cognitive resources, which they strategically allocate to complete the mental tasks involved in perceiving, comprehending, and remembering information they encounter.

Fashion and Textiles

Most importantly, the content of Haitian history provided a necessary critique of the foundational premises held in political and economic theory that impacted a fuller ethnographic understanding of human history.

Johns Hopkins University

My admittedly oversimplified answer is that we must continually check our premises, assumptions and foundational information.

Forbes

Quite literally, the foundational basis for Silver and Clinton's premise comes pure and uncut from the heart of 2016 political media consensus.

HuffPost

He built his career, particularly from the 1980s onward, on the simple, foundational idea of all Ponzi schemes: "Everyone loves a winner". This premise allowed Madoff to commit $65 billion in fraud against his 4,800 clients at the time of his arrest.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair "foundational premise" with clear and concise explanations. The premise should be easily understood by the audience to build a strong and persuasive argument.

Common error

Avoid using "foundational premise" for ideas that are not truly fundamental. Misusing the term can weaken your argument and make it seem less credible. Ensure the premise genuinely underpins the subsequent reasoning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "foundational premise" functions primarily as a noun phrase, typically acting as a subject or object within a sentence. It introduces a fundamental assumption or basis upon which further reasoning or arguments are built. Ludwig AI indicates the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Academia

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "foundational premise" is a grammatically correct and usable noun phrase that introduces a fundamental assumption or basis for an argument. While somewhat formal and more commonly found in academic, news, and scientific writing, it is less frequent in casual conversation. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, and related phrases like "basic principle" or "underlying assumption" can be used as alternatives. When using this phrase, ensure that the premise is truly fundamental and clearly explained to strengthen your argument.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fundamental concept

Stresses the conceptual and essential understanding needed.

basic principle

Emphasizes the fundamental and guiding nature of the idea.

key assumption

Highlights the importance and presumed truth of the base idea.

cornerstone principle

Highlights the stability and importance of the idea.

underlying assumption

Focuses on the unstated and often implicit nature of the base idea.

primary presupposition

Emphasizes the idea being assumed beforehand.

core tenet

Highlights the central and essential belief of a system or ideology.

central hypothesis

Emphasizes the testable nature of the base idea.

starting point

Focuses on the initiation of reasoning or argument.

essential groundwork

Focuses on the preparatory and indispensable nature of the idea.

FAQs

How can I use "foundational premise" in a sentence?

You can use "foundational premise" to introduce a key assumption or belief upon which an argument or concept is built. For example, "The "foundational premise" of this economic model is that consumers always act rationally."

What's a good alternative to "foundational premise"?

Alternatives include "basic principle", "underlying assumption", or "fundamental concept", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "foundational premise" the same as "hypothesis"?

While related, they are not identical. A ""foundational premise"" is a basic assumption used as a starting point for reasoning, whereas a hypothesis is a testable statement that can be proven or disproven through evidence.

Can "foundational premise" be used in informal writing?

While grammatically correct, "foundational premise" leans towards formal writing. In informal contexts, consider using simpler terms like "basic idea" or "main assumption" to maintain a conversational tone.