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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of second floor

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second floor

A witness reported seeing an explosion and smoke at the shopping mall after the quake and said the second floor of the building collapsed.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

The last she had heard was that they were hiding on the third floor of their building, but the water had already reached the second floor.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

The paratrooper, outfitted with a cheap plastic chute, never lived up to his promise, even if deployed from the second floor of a school classroom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

The second floor moves on to his 2008 US election win, while the third celebrates the achievements of his presidency.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

Normally, the second floor housed twenty patients that needed long-term care on straw mats covered with blankets.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh