chain of command

noun phrase

: a series of executive positions in order of authority

a military chain of command

Examples of chain of command in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What appeared more likely was that some aide or speechwriter had nudged the term up the chain of command until it could be presented to him as a spell to be cast on his audience. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025

And although victims have 45 days to file a harassment report, commanders must notify their chain of command within 48 hours if an incident sparks potential interest from the media or Congress. —Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

The chain of command starts to edit it and fine-tune it. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025

In the anxiety-inducing thriller, written by Noah Oppenheim, audiences see the chain of command and what steps might be taken if the United States detected a nuclear missile fired in its direction. —Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chain of command

• analysand
• misunderstand
• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand