staircase

staircase — noun

1. a set of steps inside a building that connects one floor to another, often with

1.nounA2
Definition

a set of steps inside a building that connects one floor to another, often with a handrail attached to a wall or posts

Example

The children ran up the marble staircase to the second floor.

collocation: marble / wooden / stone staircase

Tomás held the handrail as he walked down the narrow staircase in the dark.

typical object: handrail + staircase

Common collocations
  • marble staircase
  • wooden staircase
  • spiral staircase
  • narrow staircase
  • grand staircase
  • main staircase
  • stone staircase
  • staircase leading to
Synonyms
  • stairs

    more common in everyday speech; 'stairs' can refer to a single flight while 'staircase' emphasises the whole structure including the banister and frame

  • stairway

    slightly more formal; often used in signs and public buildings

  • stairwell

    specifically the vertical shaft or space in a building that contains the staircase

Grammar Patterns

a/an + staircase

the + staircase

staircase + of + noun

Common Mistakes

I walked up the staircases to my apartment.
I walked up the stairs to my apartment.
for everyday use meaning a single flight of steps, 'stairs' is more natural; 'staircase' refers to the whole structure including the frame and handrail.

staircase — verb

Word family

  • stair
    nounA2
  • stairs
    nounA1
  • stairway
    nounB1
  • stairwell
    nounB2
  • staircasing
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Stairs' is the most common everyday word and can refer to a single flight or to the whole set of steps in a building ('I went up the stairs'). 'Staircase' is more specific: it refers to the entire structure — the steps plus the frame, handrails, and banisters. You would use 'staircase' when describing the architectural feature ('a grand marble staircase') but 'stairs' for everyday movement. 'Stairway' is slightly more formal and appears in public signs ('Stairway to platform 3'). 'Stairwell' means the vertical shaft that contains the staircase — a hollow space running through multiple floors. 'Steps' are smaller than stairs and are often found outside ('garden steps') or as individual units ('mind the step'). For example: 'The children ran up the stairs to bed'; 'The mansion had a magnificent oak staircase'; 'Smoke filled the stairwell during the fire drill.'

stairsstairway ↗stairwellsteps

Common collocations

Nouns

  • staircase railing
  • staircase banister
  • staircase steps
  • staircase landing

Phrases

  • flight of stairs
  • foot of the staircase
  • head of the staircase

Prepositions

  • up the staircase
  • down the staircase
  • on the staircase
  • at the bottom/top of the staircase

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'staircase' combines 'stair' (from Old English 'stæġer', meaning a step or ladder-like structure for climbing) with 'case' (from Old French 'cas', meaning a frame or surrounding structure, later used in the sense of a protective enclosure). The original meaning was the frame or casing that contained the stairs. The word appeared in English around the 14th century. The verb sense is a much later development (late 20th century), arising from UK housing policy where the 'staircase' metaphor describes gradually climbing toward full property ownership.