cutting edge

American  

noun

1. the sharp edge of a cutting implement.

2. forefront; lead.

   on the cutting edge of computer technology.

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cutting edge British  

noun

1. the leading position in any field; forefront

   on the cutting edge of space technology

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adjective

1. at the forefront of people or things in a field of activity; leading

   cutting-edge technology

Other Word Forms

• cutting-edge adjective

Etymology

Origin of cutting edge

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

"This should be a national success story but instead we are facing the possibility of unsettling and destabilising threats to funding for cutting edge science."

From BBC

England Rugby World Cup-winner Jason Robinson believes Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's impressive skills are reminiscent of his own as the wing looks to provide the current side with a cutting edge in the Six Nations.

From Barron's

Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg plans to build new data centers around the globe, release new cutting edge AI models and further infuse the core advertising business with AI this year.

From The Wall Street Journal

The north appears as a distinct region that was “at the cutting edge of Western science and technology” millennia before it birthed the Industrial Revolution.

From The Wall Street Journal

"There's effort there but the cutting edge... we want more of that," he added.

From BBC

Related Words

• forefront
• front line
• vanguard