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, 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 • Mar. 20, 2026

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 • Mar. 17, 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

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 were four rooms on the ground floor and a main stairway to the second floor.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson