Top-down

adj

adj ·2 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of or relating to a hierarchical system that progresses from a single, large basic unit to multiple, smaller subunits. not-comparable
  2. 2
    Produced, controlled, or directed by those at the top of the hierarchy (the upper echelons). not-comparable

    "Overall the signage at NIE has the appearance being a top-down artefact driven by institutional policy with English set as the default language."

  3. 3
    Presenting the player with an aerial view. not-comparable

    "a top-down shooter"

  4. 4
    Of a drop top, with the convertible top down. not-comparable

    "a top-down ride"

Adjective
  1. 1
    of an approach to a problem that begins at the highest conceptual level and works down to the details wordnet

Example

More examples

""Top-down economics never works," said Obama. "The country does not succeed when just those at the very top are doing well. We succeed when the middle class gets bigger, when it feels greater security.""

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.