tiered
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tiered
Explanation
Something that is arranged in a series of levels or layers is tiered. Towering wedding cakes are often tiered, with the smallest layer at the very top. Stadium or theater seating is tiered — each row of seats is placed slightly above the row in front of it, so that people sitting in the back can see over the heads of the audience members in front. Skirts and dresses sometimes have tiered ruffles, each layer a bit higher than the one beneath it. The adjective tiered comes from tier, or "row," from the Old French tire, "rank or sequence."
Vocabulary lists containing tiered
100 Sideways Miles
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"Novio Boy: Scene 7, Part 1" and "Oranges"
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It's Kind of a Funny Story
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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.
The first is a tiered approach on minors accessing social media.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Below that age, there would be a tiered system of access under parental supervision, and a ban on addictive design features such as so-called infinite scrolling where children are concerned.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
According to the proclamation announced Thursday, the duties are tiered according to the capacity of the drones and their place of origin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Thanks to the tiered bleacher-style seating, almost every seat in the house offers a great vantage point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Triangular color blocks sit on tiered trays like a series of sugary petit-cakes.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
