groundwork

American  

[ground-wurk] / ˈgraʊndˌwɜrk /

noun

1. foundation or basis.

   He laid the groundwork for an international conference.

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groundwork British  

/ ˈɡraʊndˌwɜːk /

noun

1. preliminary work as a foundation or basis

2. the ground or background of a painting, etc

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Usage

What is groundwork? Groundwork is a foundation or basis.Groundwork can describe an actual plot of land for a building or construct, but it can also be used figuratively to describe the beginnings of a negotiation or agreement.Example: I’m laying the groundwork for a new partnership right now.

Etymology

Origin of groundwork

First recorded in 1540–50; ground ¹ + work

Example Sentences

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government's choices had laid the groundwork for the Bank of England to cut interest rates and left Britain with the fastest-growing European economy in the G7 group of nations.

From BBC

His dream, he said, is to create a "large national bonsai collection", something he had already begun laying the groundwork for.

From Barron's

While Venkatesham was involved in the execution of the deal that took Frank across London, the groundwork was completed in advance of the CEO joining last summer.

From BBC

Within such protected spaces, early chemical networks might have developed proto-metabolic activity and even basic self-replication, laying important groundwork for biological evolution.

From Science Daily

The sanctions aim to stem the flow of revenue to the regime and lay the legal groundwork for potential seizures.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• preparation