groundwork
Americannoun
noun
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preliminary work as a foundation or basis
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the ground or background of a painting, etc
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The film’s first half wastes no time laying the groundwork.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
However, the source said, "at a certain point other individuals became involved, seemingly after most of the groundwork had already been laid and subsequently began taking credit for the progress that had been made."
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
A similar effort is under way in Australia, which laid the groundwork for its own missile production lines during the Biden administration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
"These exciting preliminary findings lay the groundwork for a larger clinical trial to explore vitamin C as a possible way to improve patient outcomes," said Grønbæk.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
The Scout rocket had been an important part of laying the groundwork for the manned spaceflight efforts.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
