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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.

Yet plenty of people are finding ways to stand out and get their feet on the career ladder.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

At an apprenticeship fair in Saltaire, it is not just Fatima who is hoping to get a foot on the career ladder.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

The traditional bottom rung of the career ladder is disappearing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 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