top-tier

adjective

ˈtäp-ˈtir 

: of the highest level or rank with regard to quality, reputation, or importance

Top-tier wines are the result of artisanal production techniques that demand rigorous attention to detail and, on occasion, financial sacrifice.

—Daniel Sogg

In general, the top-tier schools measure their success by the salaries that their graduates earn …

—Peter Baida

… leave fellow Republicans open to attack on what's shaping up as a top-tier issue in the 2008 elections.

—Mark Hertsgaard

Yes, this Kansas team is loaded with top-tier talent …

—Joe Posnanski

Kemp's first objective, his handlers said, was to establish himself as a top-tier contender.

—Lucy Howard

Examples of top-tier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Covers unknown preexisting conditions Includes roof‑leak coverage in the top-tier plan. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Nobody in wrestling matches Punk’s believability, including Owens, but Owens’ top-tier talking has helped to make this an early contender for feud of the year. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Alvarez was seen by both of them as a top-tier player, and there was an acknowledgement within the club that there was a limited range of quality options available. — James McNicholas, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Everything here has been elevated, from the top-tier Italian restaurant Luma to the new spa and Grand Lawn with complimentary fitness classes and family activities. — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above