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 level …—Neil 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hunting at ground level gives a bowhunter a nice break from sitting in a tree stand for hours and waiting or something to come by. — Colin Moore, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026 Installer Hank Uroff was at ground level, operating the crane. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026 If the nightlife hasn’t got the better of you, rise early to claim the four-poster wooden daybed at ground level and order sushi from Seltz Champagne Bar. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 The song came from his feelings about taking action at ground level, literally digging his fingers into the dirt. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 28 Sep. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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