top-tier

American

[top-teer] / ˈtɒpˈtɪər /

adjective

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

top-tier

Great Britain's full-time Sevens programme was cut last year, with both the men's and women's sides dropping out of the top-tier of international competition this summer.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Raspberry preserves and orange marmalade are also top-tier.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

To be sure, top-tier tech earnings aren’t the only catalyst that could disrupt the calm in the stock market this week.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 19, 2026

English soccer is a national obsession in Norway, where top-tier matches from the U.K. became a fixture of television in 1969.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023