staircase

American  

[stair-keys] / ˈstɛərˌkeɪs /

noun

1. a flight of stairs with its framework, banisters, etc., or a series of such flights.

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staircase British  

/ ˈstɛəˌkeɪs /

noun

1. a flight of stairs, its supporting framework, and, usually, a handrail or banisters

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Etymology

Origin of staircase

First recorded in 1615–25; stair + case ²

Compare meaning

How does staircase compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• stairwell vs. staircase

Example Sentences

This week, the L.A. native sets out on her Staircase to Stardom tour across North America, Europe and Australia.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025

I climbed aboard a shuttle bus that would take me two hours east to Utah, where I planned to spend a starry night at Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase.

From New York Times • May 1, 2024

Turner, who is from Northampton in England, is best known for her role as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, and has also appeared in drama series The Staircase and the X-Men film franchise.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2023

Lady Gaga did a four-layer strip tease on the Met’s Grand Staircase and Jared Leto carried a stage version of his own head.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2023

She’d brought a book called The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene, and she liked reading in bed.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• access
• avenue
• corridor
• door
• doorway
• entry
• entryway
• gate
• hall
• hallway
• lobby
• opening
• passageway
• porch
• port