Meaning & use
have the floor
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Meaning
phraseidiom
to have the right to speak in a formal meeting or debate, with everyone else listening
Grammar: Used with a singular subject (a person or group). Often in the pattern 'have the floor' or 'get/have the floor'.
Patterns
- have the floor
- give someone the floor
- take the floor
The chairperson said, 'The senator from New York has the floor.'
After the interruption, the speaker was given the floor again to finish her argument.
During the debate, each candidate had the floor for two minutes to answer the question.
Common combinations
- give someone the floor
- The moderator gave the floor to the next speaker.
- take the floor
- She took the floor to present her proposal.
- have the floor
- Only one person can have the floor at a time.
- yield the floor
- He yielded the floor to his colleague.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be allowed to speak
- 'Be allowed to speak' is a general phrase, while 'have the floor' is a formal, parliamentary expression implying exclusive right to speak.
Opposites
Commonly confused: have the floor or floor?
have the floor vs floor
The noun 'floor' usually means the flat surface you walk on. In this phrase, it refers to the right to speak in a meeting, a meaning from parliamentary procedure.
Practice
In a formal debate, what does it mean when someone 'has the floor'?
Choose one answer.
'Have the floor' means having the right to speak, not a physical action. The other options are literal meanings of 'floor' that do not fit the context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “have the floor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.