hierarchy

noun hi·er·ar·chy \ ˈhī-(ə-)ˌrär-kē also ˈhi(-ə)r-ˌär- \

Updated on: 22 May 2018

Definition of hierarchy

plural hierarchies

1 : a division of angels

2 a : a ruling body of clergy organized into orders or ranks each subordinate to the one above it; especially : the bishops of a province or nation

b : church government by a hierarchy

3 : a body of persons in authority

4 : the classification of a group of people according to ability or to economic, social, or professional standing; also : the group so classified

5 : a graded or ranked series

a hierarchy of values

See hierarchy defined for English-language learners

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Examples of hierarchy in a Sentence

… he wrote a verse whose metaphors were read somewhere in the Baathist hierarchy as incitement to Kurdish nationalism. —Geraldine Brooks, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2001
Whereas the monkeys normally hew to strict hierarchies when it comes to who gets the best food and who grooms whom, there are no obvious top or rotten bananas in the sharing of millipede secretions. —Natalie Angier, New York Times, 5 Dec. 2000
The idea that social order has to come from a centralized, rational, bureaucratic hierarchy was very much associated with the industrial age. —Francis Fukuyama, Atlantic, May 1999
The church hierarchy faced resistance to some of their decisions.
He was at the bottom of the corporate hierarchy.
a rigid hierarchy of social classes

Recent Examples of hierarchy from the Web

Once Sussman / Prejza came aboard, these ideas would be refined and repeated in signs, badges, pictograms, uniforms, merchandise, and event interiors with a more precise hierarchy of type, symbol, and color.

— alexandra lange, Curbed, "Lessons from LA’s 1984 Summer Olympics," 17 May 2018
Five Chilean bishops are retiring or due to retire soon, meaning Francis has a chance to remake Chile’s church hierarchy.

— nicole winfield, The Seattle Times, "Pope to give Chilean bishops a dressing-down on abuse errors," 12 May 2018
Toppling the ivory tower hierarchy Graduation ceremonies typically are styled and scripted by the higher education institutions.

— rachel leingang, azcentral, "As students express themselves on caps, commencement formality goes by the (mortar)boards," 11 May 2018
According to whip hierarchy, there are several members who rank above Cárdenas.

— manu raju and ashley killough, CNN, "Hispanic Democrats keeping Cárdenas as head of political group despite sexual misconduct allegations," 11 May 2018
In many of these closely observed stories, Sittenfeld skewers hierarchies based on class, education, gender, financial success and, yes, physical attractiveness.

— heller mcalpin, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘You Think It, I’ll Say It,’ stories by Curtis Sittenfeld," 4 May 2018
Although the Smithsonian’s hierarchy did not capitulate, a disclaimer was posted on the exterior of that Museum.

— travis andersen, BostonGlobe.com, "Camille Cosby blasts husband’s conviction, says he’s a victim of ‘mob justice’," 3 May 2018
Both men have been in New York state prisons for 25 years, but prosecutors say that didn't stop them from controlling criminal activity in Charlotte and elsewhere through the gang's elaborate and carefully organized hierarchy.

— jane wester, charlotteobserver, "Jurors study Bloods' code, gang hierarchy on first day of accused Godfather's trial | Charlotte Observer," 3 May 2018
In the world of automotive propulsion, the hierarchy of complication goes something like this: Pure electric cars are simple; internal combustion engines, with many more parts and those explosions, are complex.

— eric adams, WIRED, "The Crazy, Complicated Engineering Inside Honda's New Clarity Hybrid," 27 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hierarchy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

What did hierarchy Originally Mean?

The earliest meaning of hierarchy in English has to do with the ranks of different types of angels in the celestial order. The idea of categorizing groups according to rank readily transferred to the organization of priestly or other governmental rule. The word hierarchy is, in fact, related to a number of governmental words in English, such as monarchy, anarchy, and oligarchy, although it itself is now very rarely used in relation to government.

The word comes from the Greek hierarchēs, which was formed by combining the words hieros, meaning “supernatural, holy,” and archos, meaning. “ruler.” Hierarchy has continued to spread its meaning beyond matters ecclesiastical and governmental, and today is commonly found used in reference to any one of a number of different forms of graded classification.

Origin and Etymology of hierarchy

Middle English ierarchie rank or order of holy beings, from Anglo-French jerarchie, from Medieval Latin hierarchia, from Late Greek, from Greek hierarchēs

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

hierarchy Synonyms

Synonyms

graduation, ladder, ordering, ranking, scale;

arrangement, array, disposal, disposition, distribution, sequence, series, setup;

degree, echelon, footing, level, place, position, reaches, rung, situation, spot, standing, station, status;

HIERARCHY Defined for English Language Learners

hierarchy

noun

Definition of hierarchy for English Language Learners

: a group that controls an organization and is divided into different levels
: a system in which people or things are placed in a series of levels with different importance or status

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See words that rhyme with hierarchy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hierarchy Spanish Central: Translation of hierarchy Nglish: Translation of hierarchy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hierarchy for Arabic speakers

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hierarchy

Definition of hierarchy

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What did hierarchy Originally Mean?

Origin and Etymology of hierarchy

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HIERARCHY Defined for English Language Learners

hierarchy

Definition of hierarchy for English Language Learners

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