bottom-up

American  

[bot-uhm--uhp] / ˈbɒt əm ˈʌp /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or originating with the common people, nonprofessionals, or the lower ranks of an organization.

   The five-day workweek was a bottom-up movement that business leaders and politicians finally supported.

2. organized or proceeding from smaller, more detailed units to the larger, more general structure.

   His bottom-up approach to research involves immersing himself in communities to better understand the lives of local entrepreneurs.

---

bottom-up British  

adjective

1. from the lowest level of a hierarchy or process to the top

   a bottom-up approach to corporate decision-making

---

Etymology

Origin of bottom-up

First recorded in 1930–35 as an adjective and in 1890–95 as an adverb, both deriving from the phrase “from the bottom up ”

Example Sentences

"I'm so proud to be working with Bradford Literature Festival for the second time this year and to be part of something that takes a bottom-up approach to creating genuine change," he said.

From BBC

Reynolds made his major league debut on April 20, 2019, and has been one of the few fixtures for a club in the midst of a bottom-up overhaul orchestrated by general manager Ben Cherington.

From Washington Times

Pittsburgh believes it is starting to emerge from a bottom-up overhaul.

From Seattle Times

Public funding helped, but analysts say Hallyuwood’s success was bottom-up, not top-down.

From Washington Times

Before then, harm reduction nonprofits and activists led a bottom-up revitalization of health care for people who use drugs by applying creative ways to distribute naloxone and other lifesaving supplies to them despite legal barriers.

From Scientific American

Related Words

• reversed
• upturned