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.

---

Etymology

Origin of top-tier

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

Example Sentences

Cavallo previously praised Adelaide United, who play in Australia's top-tier A-League, for providing "a safe space in football" and proposed to his partner on the pitch in 2024.

From Barron's

On the field, believing the midfield to be set, general manager Will Kuntz added two top-tier defenders in Jakob Glesnes and Justin Haak, committing more than $2 million in salary to the pair.

From Los Angeles Times

And for nearly 40 years, there hasn’t even been another top-tier club to compete with it for the attention of the French capital.

From The Wall Street Journal

SEOUL—South Korea’s infamously difficult college-entrance exam can open the door to a promising future—but just 3% of students who took it recently landed a top-tier score for English, half of last year’s rate.

From The Wall Street Journal

To get a top-tier result for English, a student with a perfect score on the listening section could miss no more than three of the test’s 28 reading-comprehension problems.

From The Wall Street Journal