ground floor

American  

noun

• ground floors
  plural

1. the floor of a building at or nearest to ground level.

2. Informal. an advantageous position or opportunity in a business matter, especially in a new enterprise.

   She took the job in the new company because she wanted to get in on the ground floor.

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ground floor British  

noun

1. the floor of a building level or almost level with the ground

2. informal

   1. to enter a business, organization, etc, at the lowest level

   2. to be in a project, undertaking, etc, from its inception

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ground floors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ground floor

First recorded in 1595–1605

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ground floor

Did Gap want in on the ground floor?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The scaly beast looked curious as it walked atop the reams of vinyl at Manak’s bar, on the ground floor of Stones Throw’s offices, which take up half a block on Figueroa Avenue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

Alfonso Malpica said he felt his ground floor flat in Granada shaking, telling El País newspaper that the quake was "stronger than the ones that happen from time to time, the ones we're used to".

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The ground floor features an open great room with a wood-paneled ceiling and a wall of bifold glass doors, which open to a landscaped conversation area.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

If he could make his way to the ground floor without losing the sound of water, he should find the place it drained into the river.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

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