tier

¹ American  

[teer] / tɪər /

noun

1. one of a series of rows or ranks rising one behind or above another, as of seats in an amphitheater, boxes in a theater, guns in a man-of-war, or oars in an ancient galley.

2. one of a number of galleries, as in a theater.

3. a layer; level; stratum.

   The wedding cake had six tiers.

   All three tiers of the firm's management now report to one director.

4. Australian. a mountain range.

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verb (used with object)

1. to arrange in tiers.

verb (used without object)

1. to rise in tiers.

tier ² American  

[tahy-er] / ˈtaɪ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that ties.

2. Nautical. a short rope or band for securing a furled sail.

3. New England. a child's apron or pinafore.

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tier ¹ British  

/ tɪə /

noun

1. one of a set of rows placed one above and behind the other, such as theatre seats

2. 1. a layer or level

   2. ( in combination )

      a three-tier cake

3. a rank, order, or row

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verb

1. to be or arrange in tiers

tier ² British  

/ ˈtaɪə /

noun

1. a person or thing that ties

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Etymology

Origin of tier¹

First recorded in 1560–70; earlier also tire, tyre, teare, from Middle French, Old French tire, tiere “order, row, rank,” from Germanic; compare Old English, Old Saxon tīr, Old High German zēri “glory, adornment”

Origin of tier²

First recorded in 1625–35; tie + -er ¹

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Explanation

A tier is a level or a layer. If you sit in the top tier of seats at a concert, you can see the whole stage and most of the audience — but you probably have to climb lots of stairs. A tier can describe a layer of ruffles on a dress, a section of seats in a stadium, or one layer of a fancy cake. You could also talk about a tier in terms of value or position. For example, the most popular, well-known actors might be considered part of the top tier, getting all the best parts. Tier originated from the Old French word tire: rank, sequence, or order.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tier

The Robins finished fourth bottom of the second tier in 1994-95 but were relegated because of the rebalancing of the divisions to reduce the Premier League to 20 teams.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

“Serving as CPO provides deep insight into employee motivation, culture and operational realities across every tier of the business—from fulfillment center workers to senior software engineers,” she told me.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Opera America found that premier U.S. institutions raised top tier ticket prices 4.5% between 2023 and 2024, reaching $376.88 on average.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

The Geordie musician also said standing would not be split into a front and back tier and he had "no idea how this was normalised at gigs".

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Later, when Hale was being held on a separate tier from the cell housing Blackie Thompson, he passed him a note through a hole where a radiator pipe went through the ceiling.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

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Related Words

• category
• layer
• row

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