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

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 • Mar. 14, 2026

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

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

The small ground floor courtroom was full of Greek and foreign journalists on Thursday morning.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

I wanted to lie in a French crib and start from scratch, learning the language from the ground floor up.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris