1
a
: higher in physical position, rank, or order
the upper lip
upper management
b
: farther inland
the upper Mississippi
2
: constituting the branch of a bicameral legislature that is usually smaller and more restricted in membership and possesses greater traditional prestige than the lower house
3
a
: constituting a stratum relatively near the earth's surface
b
capitalized
: being a later epoch or series of the period or system named
Upper Cretaceous
Upper Paleolithic
4
: northern
upper Manhattan
: one that is upper: such as
a
: the parts of a shoe or boot above the sole
b
: an upper tooth or denture
c
: an upper berth
1
: a stimulant drug
especially
: amphetamine
2
: something that induces a state of good feeling or exhilaration
Examples of upper in a Sentence
Adjective
upper and lower front teeth
the wing's upper and lower surfaces
the ship's upper and lower decks
Who will sleep on the upper berth?
The upper stories are occupied by offices.
the upper layer of the Earth's crust
temperatures in the mid to upper 20s
Write your name on the upper left-hand corner of the page.
relief of upper back pain
the mountain's upper and lower slopes
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024
On the ground floor, vendors sell produce, meat, cheeses, fish, and other groceries, while the upper floor has been turned into an upscale food hall.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2024
Riparian health:Why river advocates say Arizona's upper Verde should earn 'Wild and Scenic' protections
Arundo on the Tanque Verde in Tucson
In Pima County, an organization is working with a crew of volunteers to clear out Arundo from the creeks northwest of Tucson.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
Temperatures are expected to rise across Wisconsin by mid-afternoon, with temperatures in southern Wisconsin reaching the upper 70s and temperatures in northern Wisconsin reaching the low 70s.
—Zoe Takaki, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
The day will be cooler, with highs in the mid- to upper 60s.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
While his partner was out of the room, Rojas lifted the sheet, exposing the dead woman’s upper torso, then squeezed her right breast twice, according to the LAPD.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Overnight conditions will be mostly clear and comfortable, with low to upper 50s temperatures.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2024
Meanwhile, Pet Shop Boys return to the upper echelon of the Australian albums chart with Nonetheless, the British electro-pop duo’s 15h LP.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 3 May 2024
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2024
With their full-grain leather uppers and eye-catching red laces, Columbia’s Newton Ridge Boots harken back to the traditional mountaineering style (a.k.a.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024
Cons Our tester felt the shoe would be better with a more breathable upper.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
These canvas sneakers are the ultimate spring shoes, from their bold color range to their lightweight, breathable cloth uppers.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024
Three of the uppers are made of full-grain leather, while the fourth features hair-on-hide Italian leather.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024
As our editors can attest, these things last forever, with virtually indestructible soles and leather uppers that only get better with wear.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2024
These supportive boots do just that with their waterproof membranes, pigskin leather, and mesh uppers.
—Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
Water-resistant suede uppers make these boots feel very high-quality.
—Calin Van Paris, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Auroras occur within one of Earth's upper atmosphere layers, the thermosphere, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024
On the ground floor, vendors sell produce, meat, cheeses, fish, and other groceries, while the upper floor has been turned into an upscale food hall.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2024
Riparian health:Why river advocates say Arizona's upper Verde should earn 'Wild and Scenic' protections
Arundo on the Tanque Verde in Tucson
In Pima County, an organization is working with a crew of volunteers to clear out Arundo from the creeks northwest of Tucson.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
Temperatures are expected to rise across Wisconsin by mid-afternoon, with temperatures in southern Wisconsin reaching the upper 70s and temperatures in northern Wisconsin reaching the low 70s.
—Zoe Takaki, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
The day will be cooler, with highs in the mid- to upper 60s.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
While his partner was out of the room, Rojas lifted the sheet, exposing the dead woman’s upper torso, then squeezed her right breast twice, according to the LAPD.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Overnight conditions will be mostly clear and comfortable, with low to upper 50s temperatures.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2024
Meanwhile, Pet Shop Boys return to the upper echelon of the Australian albums chart with Nonetheless, the British electro-pop duo’s 15h LP.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 3 May 2024
Noun
The insoles are padded with a yoga mat-like material which unsurprisingly offers impressive and breathable support, while mesh uppers promote airflow so stinky feet are a thing of the past.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2024
With their full-grain leather uppers and eye-catching red laces, Columbia’s Newton Ridge Boots harken back to the traditional mountaineering style (a.k.a.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024
Cons Our tester felt the shoe would be better with a more breathable upper.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
These canvas sneakers are the ultimate spring shoes, from their bold color range to their lightweight, breathable cloth uppers.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024
Three of the uppers are made of full-grain leather, while the fourth features hair-on-hide Italian leather.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024
As our editors can attest, these things last forever, with virtually indestructible soles and leather uppers that only get better with wear.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2024
These supportive boots do just that with their waterproof membranes, pigskin leather, and mesh uppers.
—Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
Water-resistant suede uppers make these boots feel very high-quality.
—Calin Van Paris, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near upper
Cite this Entry
“Upper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper. Accessed 14 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upper
1 of 3 adjective
up·per
ˈəp-ər 
1
: higher in physical position, rank, or order
the upper lip
upper management
2
: being the smaller and more restricted branch of a two-house legislature
3
capitalized
: of, relating to, or being a later geologic period or formation
the Upper Cretaceous period
4
: being toward the interior : further inland
the upper Amazon
5
: northern
upper New York state
upper
2 of 3 noun1
: the parts of a shoe or boot above the sole
2
: an upper tooth or set of teeth
3
: an upper berth
upper
3 of 3 noun
: a stimulant drug
especially
: amphetamine
Medical Definition
upper
1 of 2 noun
up·per
ˈəp-ər
: an upper tooth or denture
upper
2 of 2 noun
: a stimulant drug
especially
: amphetamine
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