two-tier
Americanadjective
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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.
adjective
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.
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 regulator found that Virgin Media had two-tier system of retention agents, and only agents in the second tier were able to process cancellations.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 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
Building owners agreed to drop proposals that would have forced union members to share healthcare costs and created a two-tier wage system to pay some new employees less.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
He sat on the lower half of a two-tier bunk.
From Cancer World by Warner, Harry
Definitions 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.
