1.
leading, foremost, top-ranking
Among the very best or most prominent in a given category. Used to describe something or someone that ranks at the top. Literally means 'bending the fingers' (to count the best).
日本屈指の名門大学だ。
It is one of Japan's leading prestigious universities.
世界屈指の技術力を持つ企業だ。
It is a company with world-class technical capabilities.
この地域は国内屈指の米どころとして知られている。
This region is known as one of the country's leading rice-producing areas.
GRAMMAR:
屈指 is used as a modifier with の. The typical pattern is X屈指のY (one of the top Y in X), where X is a scope (country, world, region) and Y is the thing being praised.
ETYMOLOGY:
Literally "bending the fingers" — the idea of counting the best on one's fingers, implying there are so few at the top that you can count them.
COLLOCATIONS:
- 日本屈指の — one of Japan's top/leading
- 世界屈指の — world-class, world-leading
- 国内屈指の — one of the country's foremost
- 業界屈指の — leading in the industry