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
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
These vision-enhancing tools were only available at great cost, and thus only the upper echelon of society’s members was able to access them.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Both even share the same chunky sole unit, and the lines on the two uppers are near mirror images of each other.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
They’re also outfitted with a flexible non-slip rubber sole that offers traction on different terrains, plus adjustable laces and a lightweight, breathable upper material for airflow.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
These vision-enhancing tools were only available at great cost, and thus only the upper echelon of society’s members was able to access them.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
The mesh upper keeps them extremely breathable.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Both even share the same chunky sole unit, and the lines on the two uppers are near mirror images of each other.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper
Cite this Entry
“Upper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share