hierarchical

adjective

hi·​er·​ar·​chi·​cal ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-kəl 

also hir-ˈär-

variants or hierarchic

ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-kik 

also hir-ˈär-

: of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy

a hierarchical society

a hierarchical order in the church

hierarchically

ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-k(ə-)lē 

also hir-ˈär-

adverb

Examples of hierarchical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And in a world where hierarchical ambition is no longer the sole goal in career development, putting a priority on wellness and recovery is going to set some organizations apart. —Adrian Gostick, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026

Dogs kept some of their hierarchical instincts, replacing alpha wolves with their human masters. —Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026

Using real-time spectral analysis inspired by George Lewis’s Voyager, the instrument generates its own musical responses to create a non-hierarchical duet between the performer’s physical gestures and the machine’s digital brain. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 21 Jan. 2026

Thomasset and Rousson stand here for the festival’s larger programming team, which all share equal footing in the non-hierarchical Clermont-Ferrand curatorial structure. —Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see hierarchy

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hierarchical

• anti-hierarchical

Rhymes for hierarchical

• oligarchical
• anarchical

Kids Definition

hierarchical

adjective

hi·​er·​ar·​chi·​cal ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-kəl 

variants or hierarchic

-kik 

: of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy

hierarchically

-ˈrär-ki-k(ə-)lē 

adverb