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

Noun Inflected Forms

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.

See Examples For:

career ladder

"What happens if we cut out that early part of the career ladder?" he said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

The disappearing belief that you can return to your previous rung on the career ladder is the other cause of workers’ paralysis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

And he thinks rising up the career ladder would still leave him vulnerable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 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

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