banister

1 of 2

noun (1)

ban·​is·​ter ˈba-nə-stər 

variants or less commonly bannister

1

a

: a handrail with its supporting posts

b

: handrail

2

: baluster sense 2

banistered

ˈba-nə-stərd 

adjective

bannister

2 of 2

noun (2)

ban·​nis·​ter

less common spelling of banister

1

a

: a handrail with its supporting posts

b

: handrail

2

: baluster sense 2

Synonyms of banister

Noun (1)

• railing
• rail

Examples of banister in a Sentence

Noun (1)

The children love to slide down the banister.

She held the banister tightly.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The staircase is a floating composition of wood treads, steel posts and glass banisters. —Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 25 May 2026

Plan your visit to President Lincoln's Cottage At the cottage, visitors are invited to sit on 19th-century chairs and pull themselves up using the original wooden banister, unlike most historic homes. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 May 2026

Noun

Cheval Blanc Courchevel’s mustard exterior suggests a traditional, Savoyard scene of reindeer rugs and bannisters carved with twee hearts and cowbells inside. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026

The leader of Philadelphia’s Gay Raiders handcuffed himself to a bannister in Independence Hall, by the Liberty Bell. —Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of baluster

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for banister

• canister

Kids Definition

banister

noun

ban·​is·​ter

variants also bannister

ˈban-ə-stər

1

: one of the slender posts used to support the handrail of a staircase

2

: a handrail with its supporting posts

3

: the handrail of a staircase

Biographical Definition

Bannister

biographical name

Ban·​nis·​ter ˈba-nə-stər 

Sir Roger (Gilbert) 1929–2018 British runner and neurologist