top-down

American  

[top-doun] / ˈtɒpˌdaʊn /

adjective

1. relating to, originating with, or directed by those of highest rank.

   a centralized, top-down organization with a chain of command reporting up from every corner of the earth.

2. organized or proceeding from the larger, more general structure to smaller, more detailed units, as in processing information.

   Top-down investing looks at the big picture, or how the overall economy drives the markets, and then focuses on individual stocks.

3. Computers. noting or relating to a methodology used in the design and coding of programs that takes a high-level description of a problem and successively breaks it into smaller and simpler subunits.

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top-down British  

adjective

1. controlled, directed, or organized from the top

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Etymology

Origin of top-down

First recorded in 1940–45; 1970–75 top-down for def. 3; adjective use of the adverb phrase “from the top down ”

Example Sentences

But that’s more an issue of capacity over top-down interference.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

However its rock formations share visual features with human figures when viewed from a top-down drone perspective which confused the AI.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

For investors who want to consider individual aerospace and defense stocks for long-term investments, it might help to take a top-down look at valuations and growth expectations for the group.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026

It is an explicit antidote to the Hollywood model, where notes are often anonymous and top-down.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

This is the case even when the television flashes to a commercial, Dr. Anderson explains, suggesting that the attention systems lock on even when the narrative isn’t engaging the top-down systems.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel