hierarchical

adjective

hi·​er·​ar·​chi·​cal ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-kəl How to pronounce hierarchical (audio)
 also  hir-ˈär-
variants or hierarchic
ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-kik How to pronounce hierarchical (audio)
 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 How to pronounce hierarchical (audio)
 also  hir-ˈär-
adverb

Examples of hierarchical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Below Deck is a franchise that primarily trades on fantasy and escapism, but the hard reality is that yachting is an industry that is male-dominated and hierarchical, where employment is precarious. Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2023 The novelty of these sermons, the physical distance of the mosques, and the hierarchical structure of Shiite practice all helped mobilize residents in a way that the bonds of tribe, ideology, and Sunni practice could not. Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023 He was promoted too quickly in a country that for all its rapid modernization is still rigidly hierarchical and places great cultural value on climbing the ranks through slow, steady, hard work. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2023 Deng concluded that China needed more of a market economy than the strictly hierarchical, top-down command economy established by Mao Zedong. Win McCormack, The New Republic, 10 Aug. 2023 Research was focusing on primates from Africa and Asia, where dominant males frequently fought one another to impose or maintain their power in highly hierarchical societies. Diarlei Rodrigues and Diane Jeantet, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2023 The hierarchical elements of music composition (pitch, range, dynamics, tempo) are analogous to the hierarchical elements of protein structure. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Mar. 2023 They’re kind of often set up in a kind of hierarchical system. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 2 May 2023 The Outcast Motorcycle Gang has a hierarchical structure and uses ranks, similar to the military. Alexandra Koch, USA TODAY, 6 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hierarchical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see hierarchy

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hierarchical was in 1561

Dictionary Entries Near hierarchical

Cite this Entry

“Hierarchical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hierarchical. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

hierarchical

adjective
hi·​er·​ar·​chi·​cal ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-kəl How to pronounce hierarchical (audio)
variants or hierarchic
: of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy
hierarchically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on hierarchical

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