Dictionary

groundwork en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɡɹaʊndˌwɜːɹk/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From ground + work.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The foundation; the basic or fundamental parts that support or allow for the rest.
   • This outline programme was compiled by a working party consisting of members from the Regional Planning Office, the civil, mechanical and electrical, and signal engineering departments and the traffic services, on the basis of much groundwork done within each of these departments. 1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 720:
   • Oft-derided, even in its 2002 heyday, no one expected electroclash to last. But, just as sonic heirs such as La Roux or Little Boots capitalise on their groundwork, the old electro guard return with works of real solidity and depth. 2009 April 24, Tony Naylor, “Emerging victorious”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 26 Feb 2024:
   • The discovery of the laws of electricity laid the groundwork for a century of innovation.
   • Caine was pretty rough around the edges, though. I wasn't quite on Scratch's level of thinking outside the box, but it was good groundwork for something the rest of the team could wrap their heads around. 2026 March 20, Gooseworx, “hjsakldfhl” (19:55 from the start), in The Amazing Digital Circus, episode 8, spoken by Kinger (Sean Chiplock):

Forms

Deriveds

lay the groundwork

Relateds

formwork · spadework · legwork

Translations (40)

fi perustus (foundation) · fr fondation (foundation) · nn grunnarbeid (foundation) · fi perusta (foundation) · pl kanwa (foundation) · bg база (foundation) · ko 터 (foundation) · nb grunnarbeid (foundation) · ru фунда́мент (foundation) · hi नींव (foundation) · id dasar (foundation) · hi आधार (foundation) · mi kaupapa (foundation) · ja 基礎 (foundation) · es anteproyecto (foundation) · es fundamento (foundation) · pl osnowa (foundation) · fr fondement (foundation) · gv obbyr undinagh (foundation) · pt fundamento (foundation) · sv grundstomme (foundation) · gl fundamento (foundation) · ka საძირკველი (foundation) · ru осно́ва (foundation) · bg основен принцип (foundation) · id fondasi (foundation) · bg основа (foundation) · ba нигеҙ (foundation) · gl cimento (foundation) · pl podwalina (foundation) · cmn 基礎 /基础 (foundation) · la principium (foundation) · es cimiento (foundation) · ka ფუნდამენტი (foundation) · gl alicerce (foundation) · de Grundlage (foundation) · cmn 基礎性工作 /基础性工作 (foundation) · it fondamenti (foundation) · nl grondslag (foundation) · mi mahinga tumu (foundation)