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second floor

American  

noun

  1. the floor or story above the ground floor.

  2. (in Britain and elsewhere outside the U.S.) the second story completely above ground level.


second floor British  

noun

  1. US and Canadian term: third floor.  the storey of a building immediately above the first and two floors up from the ground

  2. British equivalent: first floor.  the floor or storey of a building immediately above the ground floor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of second floor

First recorded in 1815–25

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.

See Examples For:

Initial investigations indicate the blaze broke out on the second floor and the cause was still being investigated, according to the Graubünden cantonal police.

From BBC Aug. 21, 2026

On the second floor, a generous dining space and an open kitchen with marble surfaces, warm-wood cabinetry, and one of the building’s original steel trusses await.

From MarketWatch Aug. 14, 2026

Visitors can trade $5 for a small black sphinx, a replica of sculptor Lee Lawrie’s Belgian black marble and bronze sphinxes that flank the north staircase on the library’s second floor.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 10, 2026

The second floor is for their kids and six grandchildren when they come to visit, which they do often.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 17, 2026

When I’m at school or working with Eddie on the second floor of Birdie’s, Mom is alone.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

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