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

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified Perriello as a top-tier candidate in its effort to win back the House. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026

Training to become a top-tier classical dancer demands discipline and sacrifice anywhere. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Stein said North Carolina has ranked among the nation’s top two states for business for six consecutive years, driven by its strong workforce, business-friendly climate, top-tier schools, quality of life and people. — Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026

To make sure viewers keep watching, do create top-tier pilots or first films within franchises, as this is the world in which stories live and where characters eventually go back to, recommended Cannon and Hildebrand. — Annika Pham, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above