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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

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."

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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

Somewhere along the line, though, England have misplaced their cutting edge.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 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

There was a touch of rust already forming on the cutting edge of the blade and he rubbed it off with his thumbs.

From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen

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.