cutting edge
Americannoun
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cutting edges
plural
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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.
Grand Theft Auto 6 may represent the current cutting edge of game design, but the next leap forward could come from artificial intelligence.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Leaders at other AI companies echoed Amodei’s call to “pace” cutting edge AI research.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Frontier models are those deemed to be on the cutting edge of what AI has to offer.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 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
Sean’s voice was honed to a cutting edge when he said, “Going to see your girlfriend?”
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
