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career ladder

American

[ker-eer lad-er] / kərˈɪər ˈlæd ər /

noun

a series of jobs, roles, or positions of increasing importance or responsibility, through which one progresses or is expected to progress; corporate ladder.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

career ladders

plural

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Her frustration is shared by many people of her age, for whom the first rung on the career ladder can seem out of reach.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Mellon money appears up and down the academic career ladder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

And taking home the coveted prize of creator of the year was Max Klymenko, who is best known for his career ladder series, which he says is the most popular non-animated show in the world.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2025

“There are a lot of rungs on the career ladder that are disappearing,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2025

Skills-based hiring is on the rise, job-hopping has become more accepted and the traditional career ladder is being replaced by a more flexible, nonlinear career path.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023