An elevator is a transport device used to move goods or people vertically. In British English and other Commonwealth Englishes, elevators are known more commonly as lifts, although the word elevator is familiar from American movies and television shows, just as some Americans are aware of lift from imported entertainment. Other languages may have loanwords based on either elevator (e.g. Japanese) or lift (e.g. Cantonese). Because of wheelchair access laws, elevators are often a requirement in new buildings with multiple floors.
