- of, relating to, or originating with the common people, nonprofessionals, or the lower ranks of an organization: The five-day workweek was a bottom-up movement that business leaders and politicians finally supported.
- organized or proceeding from smaller, more detailed units to the larger, more general structure: His bottom-up approach to research involves immersing himself in communities to better understand the lives of local entrepreneurs.
- from the lowest level of a hierarchy or process to the top
