Pronunciation: ' täp- ' dau ̇ n
Function: adjective
Etymology: from the phrase from the top down
Date: 1941
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>