tier
1 Americannoun
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one of a series of rows or ranks rising one behind or above another, as of seats in an amphitheater, boxes in a theater, guns in a man-of-war, or oars in an ancient galley.
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one of a number of galleries, as in a theater.
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The wedding cake had six tiers.
All three tiers of the firm's management now report to one director.
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Australian. a mountain range.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a person or thing that ties.
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Nautical. a short rope or band for securing a furled sail.
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New England. a child's apron or pinafore.
noun
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one of a set of rows placed one above and behind the other, such as theatre seats
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a layer or level
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( in combination )
a three-tier cake
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a rank, order, or row
verb
noun
Etymology
Origin of tier1
First recorded in 1560–70; earlier also tire, tyre, teare, from Middle French, Old French tire, tiere “order, row, rank,” from Germanic; compare Old English, Old Saxon tīr, Old High German zēri “glory, adornment”
Origin of tier2
Explanation
A tier is a level or a layer. If you sit in the top tier of seats at a concert, you can see the whole stage and most of the audience — but you probably have to climb lots of stairs. A tier can describe a layer of ruffles on a dress, a section of seats in a stadium, or one layer of a fancy cake. You could also talk about a tier in terms of value or position. For example, the most popular, well-known actors might be considered part of the top tier, getting all the best parts. Tier originated from the Old French word tire: rank, sequence, or order.
Vocabulary lists containing tier
"The Cask of Amontillado"
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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 30-year-old had quickly established himself as a club favourite, scoring 11 goals in his first season as Tenerife were promoted to the second tier of Spanish football.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Deportivo La Coruna, currently plying their trade in the second tier of Spanish football, are no longer associated with the Champions League - but they carried out an unforgettable fightback against heavyweight opposition in 2004.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
“Serving as CPO provides deep insight into employee motivation, culture and operational realities across every tier of the business—from fulfillment center workers to senior software engineers,” she told me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Opera America found that premier U.S. institutions raised top tier ticket prices 4.5% between 2023 and 2024, reaching $376.88 on average.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
The first tier of seats was twelve feet above the arena floor.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
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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.
