Two elevators in the lower level of a London Underground station. The arrows show each elevator's position and direction of travel. The elevator on the right is preparing to ascend, and the left elevator is descending from the top floor.

An elevator or lift is a vertical transport vehicle that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, ship or other structure. They are generally powered by electric motors that either drive traction cables and counterweight systems, or pump hydraulic fluid to raise a cylindrical piston.Languages other than English may have loanwords based on either elevator (e.g., Japanese) or lift (e.g., Cantonese).Because of wheelchair access laws, elevators are often a legal requirement in new multi-story buildings, especially where wheelchair ramps would be impractical.