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

In 1983, a potential nuclear exchange was averted when an officer in the Soviet Air Defence Force, Stanislav Petrov, correctly assessed that a signal of an incoming missile attack was a false alarm and did not trigger an urgent warning to his chain of command. —Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025

If necessary, they are told to challenge those orders through their chain of command, or through attorneys associated with their units, or by contacting their branch’s inspector general. —Samuel C. Mahaney, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025

But the military mostly exists on paper: There’s barely a chain of command and officers are notoriously venal. —Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025

Yet these drills help teams understand the chain of command, communication protocols and the steps needed if technology fails unexpectedly. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 21 Mar. 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