second floor

American  

noun

1. the floor or story above the ground floor.

2. (in Britain and elsewhere outside the U.S.) the second story completely above ground level.

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second floor British  

noun

1. US and Canadian term: third floor.  the storey of a building immediately above the first and two floors up from the ground

2. British equivalent: first floor.  the floor or storey of a building immediately above the ground floor

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Etymology

Origin of second floor

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

These new alterations complement changes made on the second floor that date to about 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

Crews used a ladder to rescue a 42-year-old man who had broken through the windows on the second floor in an effort to flee the blaze.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

She said she’d like to find a new apartment because the partly subsidized unit she’s been living in for 26 years has no elevator and she’s on the second floor.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

One man recounted how he and his family were evacuated by boat when the floodwaters inundated his home up to the second floor, only for them to need to flee again from a nearby village.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

There were three keys—2-B, -C, and -E—missing on the second floor, and only one—3-A—on the third.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt