cutting edge

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

at the forefront of development in a field; incorporating the most recent, advanced, or innovative methods, technologies, or ideas available; the metaphor derives from the sharpest part of a blade, which does the work of cutting through material, extended to describe whatever is most advanced and effective in a given domain; cutting-edge research, technology, or practice is distinguished by its novelty and by the fact that it has not yet been widely adopted or superseded; the phrase carries positive connotations of dynamism, ambition, and the willingness to work at the limits of current knowledge where outcomes are uncertain but potential is greatest