top-downˌtop-ˈdown adjective [only before noun] British EnglishExamples
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Consider the extent to which the approach can be said to be atomistic or holistic, bottom-up or top-down.
It is not only top-down planning that has gone; much of the faith in a strong central state has disappeared.
So far this has been the approach we have made to our top-down dreaming.
Such models receive information from both top-down and bottom-up sources, and feedback exists between all levels.
This alternative design may be based on management needs, a sort of top-down approach.
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN►approach
· This alternative design may be based on management needs, a sort of top-down approach.· In a less restrictive system such a top-down approach would not be feasible.· There are two main ways of forecasting earnings: the bottom-up approach and the top-down approach.· In the top-down approach, the effects of the wider macroeconomy on the firm's earnings are taken into account.· Dictionary look-up techniques represent the top-down approach, and involve verifying the input word by matching it with a dictionary word.
1a top-down way of organizing a business is one in which the most important people make decisions and tell the people below them what they should do: The company has a top-down management system. a top-down approach to decision-making2a top-down way of understanding or explaining something starts with a general idea and adds details later