top-down change
nounUK /ˌtɒp daʊn ˈtʃeɪndʒ/
US /ˌtɑːp daʊn ˈtʃeɪndʒ/
A change that leaders decide and then tell everyone else to follow.
The new school rules were a top-down change made by the principal.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A change planned by bosses and passed down to workers.
The company's top-down change meant employees had no say in the new schedule.
3. A reform started by a government and applied to everyone below.
The top-down change to the tax system surprised many local businesses.
4. A shift in how something is organized that begins at the highest level.
The army's top-down change came straight from the general.