cutting edge
Americannoun
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cutting edges
plural
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the sharp edge of a cutting implement.
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forefront; lead.
on the cutting edge of computer technology.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cutting edge
First recorded in 1950–55
Explanation
Something that's cutting-edge is the very latest or the most stylish. If you always covet the newest kind of cellphone, you could say that you like cutting-edge technology. The adjective cutting-edge often describes new advances in science or technology — a hospital might advertise its use of cutting-edge cancer treatments, for example. Art can be described as cutting-edge as well, if it uses innovative techniques or does something completely new. The word cutting-edge has only been used in this figurative way since the mid-1960s; before that it literally meant "the edge of a tool's blade."
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.
Advanced Micro Devices is paying $8.2 billion for a company at the cutting edge of real-world artificial intelligence — but perhaps more importantly, AMD is bringing aboard a visionary leader.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Nvidia is a key player in the industry, developing cutting edge computer chips that are crucial for making AI models.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
California companies have propelled this movement, turning what was once an old-fashioned way to save money into a booming industry at the cutting edge of style.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Gemini models have fallen a bit behind the cutting edge performance-wise in recent months; better and cheaper open-weight models threaten to pull customers away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
It has the sharpest cutting edge of any tool on earth.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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.
