top-down

adjective

ˈtäp-ˈdau̇n 

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

Examples of top-down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This mantra helps guide all employees around a core objective, rather than directing staff through top-down initiatives. — Tamlin Magee, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

The rise and fall of Joe Cool, the Camel cigarette advertising gimmick that launched a thousand teen smokers, was accomplished with a more top-down approach. — Kent Sepkowitz, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026

Pop culture in the pre-social internet, pre-streaming era was largely dictated top-down by industry gatekeepers, designed to appeal to as many people as possible. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

The only way to achieve this is to break down the walls and abandon top-down military standardization. — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the phrase from the top down

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for top-down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown