two-tier

American

[too-teer] / ˈtuˈtɪər /

Or two-tiered

adjective

consisting of two tiers, floors, levels, or the like.

a two-tier wedding cake.
consisting of two separate price structures, sets of regulations, etc..

a two-tier fare system for subways and buses.

two-tier British

adjective

involving or comprising two levels of structure, policy, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of two-tier

First recorded in 1970–75

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:

two-tier

Hundreds of dentist practices are abandoning NHS work as the service drifts towards a two-tier system, new analysis suggests.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Like many European countries, Denmark uses a two-tier or proportional system.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

French Senators had opted for a two-tier system distinguishing between blacklisted platforms flagged as harmful to a child's development, and those that could still be accessed with parental consent.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

"The Russian economy is a two-tier economy -- the state dominated defence industry, doing pretty well, and basically everything else," London-based expert on the Russian economy Alexander Kolyandr told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

He sat on the lower half of a two-tier bunk.

From Cancer World by Harry Warner

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