Buildings that ranged between 10 and 20 floors continued to be labeled as “skyscrapers” for years to come. As advances were made in construction, the qualifications to be considered a skyscraper grew to 150-meter (492-foot) minimum.

Different organizations from the United States and Europe define skyscrapers as buildings at least 150 m (490 ft) in height or taller, with "supertall" skyscrapers for buildings higher than 300 m (984 ft) and "megatall" skyscrapers for those taller than 600 m (1,969 ft).

Originally, the word skyscraper meant a tall sail on a sailing ship. Over time, the word's meaning has changed, and today it means a tall building. Until the nineteenth century, buildings taller than six stories tall were not common. Tall buildings made of weak materials would fall down.

Concrete and steel have long been the primary materials for constructing skyscrapers. But in recent years, engineers and architects have started experimenting with new, and often surprising, materials in response to the sustainability of cities.