ladder

noun

lad·​der ˈla-dər How to pronounce ladder (audio)
often attributive
Synonyms of laddernext
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 How to pronounce ladder (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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.
And this kind of aspiring middle class that is trying to climb the ladder, restaurants are the place to do that. — Amiel Stanek, Bon Appétit, 17 Mar. 2025 Three minutes later, Rock climbed the ladder and snipped the last strand of the net, just as Pitino had wanted. — Tim Casey, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025 There’s a swim ladder for refreshing lake plunges as well as an outdoor sun deck and nooks for naps and afternoon reads. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2025 But the experience of Pittsfield and so many larger company towns is a reminder of how wrenching the disruption is when the biggest employer in town takes a big hit and the ladder rungs toward upward mobility start to crumble. — Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ladder

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ladder was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing ladder

Rhymes for ladder

See All Rhymes for ladder

Browse Nearby Words

ladder
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ladder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ladder. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

ladder

noun
lad·​der ˈlad-ər How to pronounce ladder (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on ladder

Nglish: Translation of ladder for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All