Definitions for "Top-down design"
A design approach in which a big problem is divides into simpler sub-problems until a manageable solution can be achieved.
Program design technique that takes the original set of program specifications and breaks them down into smaller, more manageable components. 12.5
An approach in structured program design that breaks up a general task into a series of more detailed subtasks, which are further divided until no more detail is necessary.
Keywords:  stepwise, refinement, synonym
A synonym for stepwise refinement.
Pertaining to design methodology that starts with the highest level of abstraction and proceeds through progressively lower levels. See: structured design.
The process of designing a system by identifying its major components, decomposing them into their lower level components, and iterating until the desired level of detail is achieved. Contrast with bottom-up design.