top of the corporate ladder
1
5.5
- noun
- UK
:
cima de la jerarquía empresarial
- Why has the top of the corporate ladder been so elusive to African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic, and Latino top talent?
Examples
-
The other night, I made the following post on the forums for an Australian TV show called "The Project" in response to a story about women having issues with getting jobs at the very top of the corporate ladder.
Blog text (26) -
For the last two years, she'd been on the corporate fast track, starting in lower management and working her way to the top of the corporate ladder.
Fiction book (2000) -
We were so busy clamoring to the top of the corporate ladder that we forgot to develop any job or management skills that would lay a foundation for future generations to flourish.
Blog text (25) -
In reality, for me, the harsh self-assessment is, contrary to my dreams of ascending toward the top of the corporate ladder, the fact is, I'm not a particularly inspiring or effective leader, and I likely never will be.
Blog text (29) -
After years of hard work, she finally reached the top of the corporate ladder as the CEO of the company.
-
Many employees aspire to the top of the corporate ladder where they can influence company decisions.
-
He always dreamed of being at the top of the corporate ladder, leading a team of talented professionals.
Synonyms
∞
2.1
The highest position in a job or field
678
3.5
A person who leads a company and makes its big decisions
34
3.6
A person who leads a company and makes its main decisions
21
4.6
A person with the most power in a group
12
4.9
The highest level of achievement in a career or field
3
4.4
A position of respect and importance in society or at work
3
4.6
The most important position with the highest priority
3
8.4
A person who is the most important leader in a group or organization
2
4.4
A person or group who is top and most powerful after a competition
1
7.5
A person who is in charge of a group and makes the main decisions
1
7.7
The most important person in a group or organization
1
5.6
The highest level of success in a job or field
In a position of power or importance in a group
The highest and hardest job to get in politics or business
Antonyms
How Senior
Surface Forms
Morphology
top + of + the + corporate + ladder
The phrase is a straightforward compositional metaphor: 'ladder' (used to represent hierarchical levels) modified by 'corporate' (company) and 'top' (highest point) yields the highest position in a company's hierarchy. This semantic mapping is common cross-linguistically and follows transparent composition rules, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Top of the corporate ladder comes from the simple image of a ladder, where people climb steps to reach the top. So, it means 'the highest position or status in a company'.