top-down
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top–down

adjective \ˈtäp-ˈdan\

Definition of TOP-DOWN

1
: controlled, directed, or instituted from the top level <a top–down corporate structure>
2
: proceeding by breaking large general aspects (as of a problem) into smaller more detailed constituents : working from the general to the specific <top–down programming> <top–down design>

Origin of TOP-DOWN

from the phrase from the top down
First Known Use: 1941

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