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

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

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

From BBC

These are apartment buildings with carports, garages or retail stores on the ground floor, with flimsy supports that can collapse in the side-to-side shaking of an earthquake.

From Los Angeles Times

Police in Argentina say inspections were carried out of the area where he died on the ground floor, where a bottle of whiskey, a lighter and a mobile phone were found.

From BBC

They said she had suffered multiple injuries from an unspecified weapon during a "horrific attack" before a ground floor flat was set on fire.

From BBC