ground floor

noun

plural ground floors

1

: the floor of a building most nearly on a level with the ground : first floor sense 1

2

: a favorable position or privileged opportunity usually obtained by early participants

—used especially in the phrase in on the ground floor

investors who got in on the ground floor

Examples of ground floor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Used primarily as an office building, its ornate design, carvings and sculptures — including a ground floor fountain with frolicking bronze youths — hadn’t invited much public attention or appreciation. —Lina Lecaro, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026

Owners in the building also have access to communal spaces and amenities, including a gym, a spa treatment room, a library furnished in custom Armani/Casa pieces, a landscaped terrace, and a Zen tearoom with service provided by Armani/Ristorante on the building’s ground floor. —Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 22 Jan. 2026

Their raucous laughter echoed throughout the entire ground floor. —Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 19 Jan. 2026

In the worst cases, renters living in ground floor and basement apartments risk losing everything, including their lives. —Julie Raskin, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ground floor

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore