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

Spanish, British and Canadian investors, among others, thought they were getting in on the ground floor.

From The Wall Street Journal

On the ground floor, the building’s open-air male and female changing rooms will merge into one larger indoor gender-neutral area with private changing rooms and toilet stalls, Kingsnorth said.

From Los Angeles Times

Referred to in court as Officer 4, the witness said he had first encountered Bosh coming down the stairs to the ground floor of the city centre hotel.

From BBC

On the ground floor of the boardinghouse the parlor and dining room are empty—the boarders with jobs have left for the day.

From Literature

Filming from the ground floor with handheld cameras that wouldn’t stir museum security’s suspicion, P.A.I.N. captured a truly remarkable sight as the Sackler’s blizzard came to life.

From Salon