ˈhī-(ə-)ˌrär-kē
as in ladder
a scheme of rank or order
honesty sits at the top of my hierarchy of values
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Recent Examples of hierarchy
But who would kill this Godly man who is high up in the Saints’ ruling hierarchy?
—
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Though there is no hierarchy at Tunnel, and decisions are made collaboratively, Palazzolo-Daboul has taken on the role of unpaid director and chief facilitator.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
This one-level museum eschews traditional museological hierarchies.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Neonatologists understand this hierarchy of risk.
—Alexander Crider, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Though there is no hierarchy at Tunnel, and decisions are made collaboratively, Palazzolo-Daboul has taken on the role of unpaid director and chief facilitator.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
This one-level museum eschews traditional museological hierarchies.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Neonatologists understand this hierarchy of risk.
—Alexander Crider, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hierarchy
Noun
-
Facing what current and former officials say is difficulty in filling some of the positions, the FBI has moved quickly to promote agents up the ladder, people familiar with the matter say.—
Eric Tucker,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
So, the president will move up an escalation ladder responsibly, as our amazing military will follow those orders with him as the commander in chief until Iran comes to the table and and really lives up to a responsible deal that the vice president has put on the table.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Colorado residents have faced the highest percentage premium increases measured in any state this decade, according to a ranking from Lending Tree.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Bella DeVaan, director of the Charity Reform Initiative at IPS, offered conditional praise for the new Forbes ranking.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Large distributors dominate the market, and they’re built for scale, not specificity.—
Maryam Ahmed,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Apr. 2026
-
According to Musk, at scale, the robot could cost between USD 20,000 and 30,000, roughly in line with a typical car.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hierarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hierarchy. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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