ground floor

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.

ground floor

noun

1. the floor of a building level or almost level with the ground
2. get in on the ground floor or start from the ground floor informal.
   1. to enter a business, organization, etc, at the lowest level
   2. to be in a project, undertaking, etc, from its inception

Word History and Origins

Origin of ground floor¹

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

The Gas Company will also have an office on the ground floor to serve customers.

From Los Angeles Times

Six residents of an elderly care home died when the flood water washed into the building when they were still on the ground floor.

From BBC

The hall is a massive space on the ground floor featuring a restaurant, bar and an LED screen that stretches from one end to the other and is big enough to show every NFL game at once.

From Los Angeles Times

But everyone is believed to have been on the ground floor when the house was hit.

From BBC

Mr Ezzedine lived on the ground floor, while his children and their families lived on the upper floors.

From BBC