High-rise buildings first became possible due to the invention of the elevator (also known as the lift in British English).

Although the exact definition is immaterial, various bodies have tried to define what 'high-rise' means:

• The International Conference on Fire Safety in High-Rise Buildings defined a high-rise as "any structure where the height can have a serious impact on evacuation"

• The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines a high-rise as "a building having many storeys".

• Massachusetts General Laws define a high-rise as being higher than 70 feet.