cutting edge
Americannoun
-
the sharp edge of a cutting implement.
-
forefront; lead.
on the cutting edge of computer technology.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
- cutting-edge adjective
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.
"It was actually St Mirren who were the better team, especially in the second half, when they pinned Celtic back but didn't have that cutting edge," he told BBC Scotland.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
The past quarter-century has hosted a dizzying array of innovation, as the cutting edge of technology moved from Palm Pilots and flip phones to mobile internet, artificial intelligence, genome sequencing and so much more.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
So it likely doesn’t represent the cutting edge of what AI companies are currently doing and the claimed results may not be as dramatic with today’s models.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
While a handful of star researchers on the cutting edge of science attract federal grants in the tens-of-millions of dollars, faculty in the social sciences and humanities often struggle to generate six figures.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
It slit through the air like the cutting edge of a blade.
From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi
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.
