top-tier

American  

[top-teer] / ˈtɒpˈtɪər /

adjective

1. of or among the highest rank, level, importance, or quality.

   It was again named the top-tier exterior house paint.

   She was sought after by three top-tier college basketball teams.

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Etymology

Origin of top-tier

First recorded in 1940–45; top ¹ ( def. ) + tier ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

“The technological gap is closing, positioning China’s leading models as increasingly viable alternatives to their top-tier global counterparts,” they note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

So did Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Louisville and a host of other top-tier hoops programs.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Many leading Chinese players live in Sheffield, while a string of top-tier academies have opened up.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

"The ongoing wait for DeepSeek V4 points to friction in scaling advanced models without unrestricted access to top-tier Nvidia hardware," Wu said.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

I wanted the best of both worlds—the thrill and the drama of high school with all my friends and a top-tier gymnastics career.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles