ladder

noun

lad·​der ˈla-dər 

often attributive

1

: a structure for climbing up or down that consists essentially of two long sidepieces joined at intervals by crosspieces on which one may step

2

: something that resembles or suggests a ladder in form or use

especially : run sense 11a

3

: a series of usually ascending steps or stages : scale

climbing up the corporate ladder

ladderlike

ˈla-dər-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms of ladder

• hierarchy
• ranking
• scale

Examples of ladder in a Sentence

He was moving up the corporate ladder.

She worked her way up from the lowest rung on the economic ladder.

She got a ladder in her stocking.

Recent Examples on the Web

Dane Laffrey's sets feel appropriately busy during the construction phase of the show, with ladders, buckets, and other equipment strewn about the stage. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025

High homeownership costs are keeping millions of Americans off the property ladder, sparking larger societal repercussions—including falling birth rates. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025

Watson shared a 1962 Nobel Prize with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for discovering that deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a double helix, consisting of two strands that coil around each other to create what resembles a long, gently twisting ladder. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025

The Louvre is said to have once run outdated Windows Server 2003 software and had unguarded rooftop access, something eerily similar to how the recent thieves used an electric ladder to reach a balcony. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English hlǣder; akin to Old High German leitara ladder, Old English hlinian to lean — more at lean

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ladder

• accommodation ladder
• aerial ladder
• career ladder
• corporate ladder
• fish ladder
• hook and ladder truck
• Jacob's ladder
• ladder-back
• ladder truck
• rope ladder

Rhymes for ladder

• adder
• bladder
• madder
• sadder
• gallbladder
• stepladder

Kids Definition

ladder

noun

lad·​der ˈlad-ər 

1

: a structure for climbing that consists of two long pieces (as of wood, rope, or metal) joined at short distances by crosspieces on which one may step

2

: something that suggests a ladder in form or use

3

: a series of steps or stages : scale

the corporate ladder