ground level

noun

plural ground levels
1
a
: the level of the ground taken as a reference point
From ground level, the arrayed fields of feed corn and soybeans look … like sprint tracks or Olympic pools, replete with the angles and alleys of serious tennis.David Foster Wallace
These survey flights were conducted at 300 feet above ground level. During the return flight to Schefferville, the aircraft descended and flew over terrain at an altitude varying between 100 and 40 feet above ground level.Targeted New Service
compare sea level
b
: the story (see story entry 3 sense 1a) of a building with its floor aligned to ground level : ground floor sense 1
It was a two-story house with white siding on the ground levelNeil Sheehan
2
: the state of a physical system (as of an atomic nucleus or an atom) having the least energy of all the possible states : ground state

Examples of ground level in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But since then, as wildfires have grown, the nation’s average ground level ozone — which is smog — increased by 4%. Seth Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 July 2026 The finished buildings include ramps leading up from ground level to the gap where the bridge will be. Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026 On match days, all aircraft operations, including drones, are prohibited within a radius of 3 nautical miles and up to 3,000 feet above ground level around the stadiums unless specifically authorized by air traffic controllers. Reuters, NBC news, 7 July 2026 Vera Wang Wang was not interested in meeting Kloss anywhere near ground level. Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ground level

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ground level was in 1787

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ground level.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground%20level. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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