cutting edge
Americannoun
-
the sharp edge of a cutting implement.
-
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.
Artificial intelligence has been the engine of the bull market, and SpaceX is a potential test of how strong investor appetite remains for everything cutting edge.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
A joint statement said the new project would see "cutting edge payloads and enabling systems" developed for UUVs which could protect seabed infrastructure, conduct strikes, surveil and do reconnaissance, and conduct logistics operations.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
Cohen: He’s always on the cutting edge of the next thing and the next group of musicians that he finds.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
In the study, the team used a cutting edge imaging method to examine how electric charges are distributed throughout the material.
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
Mostly because this escapade cried out for a cutting edge to go with its larklike quality.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
