Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Situated on the floor of a building that is at or closest to ground level: Describes a room, entrance, or other feature located on the lowest floor of a building, typically at street level.

Usage

• The adjective "ground-floor" is used attributively, meaning it is placed directly before a noun to describe it.
• It is often hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The apartment has a ground-floor balcony overlooking the garden.
  • For accessibility, we require a ground-floor office.
  • The ground-floor windows were fitted with security bars.

Advanced Usage

• "ground-floor" as a metaphorical adjective: Informally used in business contexts to describe being involved in a venture from its very beginning.
  • She was a ground-floor investor in the tech startup. (This usage is derived from the noun phrase "get in on the ground floor" and is often seen without a hyphen in this figurative sense.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ground floor (noun phrase): The floor of a building at or nearest ground level.
  • Our shop is located on the ground floor.
• First floor (noun phrase): In American English, this is synonymous with "ground floor." In British English, it typically means the floor above the ground floor.

Synonyms

• Street-level: Located at the same height as the street.
• First-floor (AmE): Of or located on the floor at ground level.

Antonyms

• Upstairs: On a higher floor.
• Upper-floor: Located on a floor above the ground level.

Related Idioms

• Get in on the ground floor: To become involved in a project or enterprise at its very beginning.
  • Those who got in on the ground floor of the company saw huge returns.

Adjective

1. on the floor closest to level with the ground
   • the ground-floor entrance is kept locked