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Glite Dictionary
🏠 Lowest building level 🚀 Starting stage
ground floor

ground floor

13 3.7
An early stage of a company or project before it grows
  • noun
  • /ɡraʊnd flɔr/
translation icon : inicio
  • You're at the ground floor of a growing business.
  • start at the ground floor
  • ground floor of a new
  • project on the ground floor

If you can master AI by starting on the ground floor, let's go.

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Examples

  • "You want in on the ground floor of this?"

    Fiction book (2001)

  • People feel they're "getting in on the ground floor" in these countries, says Shover.

    Blog text (1)

  • Get in on the ground floor.

    Million Dollar Arm (2014)

  • It's a pretty exciting time to be on the ground floor.

    Little Black Book (2004)

  • I mean, I gave 'em a chance to get in on the ground floor.

    Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort (2014)

  • It's really exciting... and I want to get you in on the ground floor.

    About Schmidt (2002)

  • An opportunity for a guy like me to get in on the ground floor.

    Lolita (1962)

  • You're in on the ground floor.

    Lovelace (2013)

  • It's about getting in on the ground floor of the 21st century's great new business frontier.

    Blog text (2)

  • By joining this startup early, you can be on the ground floor of a potentially successful venture.

Synonyms

starting point
vsground floor
69 3.0

A place, time, or situation that people use as a basis for later action

is the early business stage that gives participants a potential advantage

How Early

founder
458 3.9
ground floor
13 3.7
participant
295 2.4
late to the party
  • Informal
8 7.1

Surface Forms

ground floor singular
ground floors plural

Morphology

ground + floor

The literal senses of 'ground' (base/earth) and 'floor' (building level) produce a clear image of the lowest or base level, so a learner can reasonably infer a sense of 'starting point' or initial stage from the parts. However, the commercial nuance that being on the 'ground floor' confers an advantage is a metaphorical extension that may not be entirely predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

Ground floor is also used as a picture for the very start of a project or business: being on the ground floor means you are 'at the beginning' before things grow higher. So, if you joined on the ground floor, you were there from the start and often had an advantage.