Meaning & use
top management
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablebusiness
The most senior leaders of a company or organization, who make the most important decisions.
Grammar: Uncountable; takes a singular verb in American English: Top management has approved the plan.
Patterns
- top management of something
- top management at something
The decision to close the factory was made by top management.
Top management is responsible for setting the company's overall strategy.
She was promoted to top management after ten years with the firm.
noununcountablebusiness
The group of people who hold the highest positions in an organization, considered as a unit.
Grammar: Often used with 'the': The top management of the bank met with regulators.
Patterns
- the top management of something
The top management of the hospital attended the training session.
Critics say top management has lost touch with ordinary workers.
Common combinations
- senior management
- Senior management will review the budget next week.
- top management team
- The top management team includes the CEO and the CFO.
- top management position
- She holds a top management position at the tech company.
- top management level
- Changes at the top management level often affect the whole company.
- report to top management
- Department heads report directly to top management.
Synonyms and how they differ
- senior management
- Very similar, but 'senior management' can include a slightly wider group of high-level managers, not just the very top.
- executives
- Refers to individual top leaders, especially in business; 'top management' often refers to the group as a whole.
- leadership
- A broader term that can refer to the people in charge or the quality of leading; 'top management' is more specific to the highest level of a company.
Opposites
Word family
- manage verb
- To be in charge of something or someone.
- manager noun
- A person who controls or organizes part of a company.
- managerial adjective
- Relating to managers or management.
Commonly confused: top management or middle management?
top management vs middle management
Middle management refers to managers who are below top management but above first-line supervisors; they carry out top management's decisions.
Practice
In American English, which sentence is grammatically correct?
Choose one answer.
In American English, 'top management' is uncountable and takes a singular verb, so 'has approved' is correct. British English often uses a plural verb, but the question specifies American English. The other options use plural verbs, which would be less standard in American English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “top management”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.