ground floor

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of ground floor

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

On the ground floor, next to their 4-year-old grandson’s toy cars, is a reception room with a wooden door.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

At a separate strike earlier in the day on Wednesday, firefighters battled for hours to put out a major fire that had hit a residential building with shops on the ground floor.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

You never know when you’ll find yourself on the ground floor of a scandal, reading a story that will change history forever and result in the unthinkable.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

There’s no bad sightline in the space, from either the ground floor or upper level balcony, which looks out over a stage wreathed in pink neon and wood cutouts evoking the industrial cityscape outside.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

On our later trips, we’d sleep in a sumptuous bedroom suite on the ground floor of the palace, looked after by liveried footmen and ladies-in-waiting.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama