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two-tier

American

[too-teer] / ˈtuˈtɪər /

Or two-tiered

adjective

consisting of two tiers, floors, levels, or the like.

a two-tier wedding cake.
consisting of two separate price structures, sets of regulations, etc..

a two-tier fare system for subways and buses.

two-tier British

adjective

involving or comprising two levels of structure, policy, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of two-tier

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They said there was a risk of a two-tier system, potentially pushing up prices in outlets that still accepted cash and creating a poverty premium for those who best budgeted using cash.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

The result is a two-tier system: a global audience watching from home, and a smaller, more exclusive crowd inside the venue.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 2026

Access to obesity treatment in the UK may be heading toward a two-tier system, raising concerns that some of the most vulnerable patients could be left without help.

From Science Daily • Jan. 4, 2026

“We ended up with like this two-tier economy where either you were an asset holder or you weren’t,” he said.

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

Where the space is insufficient to make this installation, use the two-tier shelf rack.

From The Automobile Storage Battery Its Care And Repair by Witte, Otto A.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023