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Synonyms

cutting edge

American  

noun

  1. the sharp edge of a cutting implement.

  2. forefront; lead.

    on the cutting edge of computer technology.
cutting edge British  

noun

  1. the leading position in any field; forefront

    on the cutting edge of space technology
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

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

    cutting-edge technology
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • cutting-edge adjective

Etymology

Origin of cutting edge

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And Lilly wants its smaller peers to know it stands on the cutting edge.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Automation can be a convenient cover to reverse postpandemic overhiring—not to mention an attempt to signal that a business is on the cutting edge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Google will open an AI centre in Berlin on Thursday, the latest sign of Europe's deepening reliance on US firms in cutting edge technologies despite the continent's stated aim to catch up with its rivals.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

"Without doubt, there is a lack of cutting edge at Celtic," Stewart said.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

That is because they thought they were being ultra-modern, the cutting edge, the new blood.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.