Noun
the premise of a syllogism that contains the major term (which is the predicate of the conclusion)
Source: WordNetThe major premise of the conclusion expressed in a statute, the change of policy that induces the enactment, may not be set out in terms, but it is not an adequate discharge of duty for courts to say: We see what you are driving at, but you have not said it, and therefore we shall go on as before. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
For example, knowing that all men are mortal (major premise) and that Socrates is a man (minor premise), we may validly conclude that Socrates is mortal. Source: Internet
Each of the premises has one term in common with the conclusion: in a major premise, this is the major term (i. Source: Internet
This is because in the structure of the syllogism invoked (i.e. III-1) the middle term is not distributed in either the major premise or in the minor premise a pattern called the "fallacy of the undistributed middle". Source: Internet