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
The complex portrayal wasn’t that far from Göring, who was the guy behind the guy atop the Nazi hierarchy who on the surface was a charming narcissist reputed to be a great dinner party guest, but was at heart a cunningly manipulative villain.
—
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
The Wax Child is about the dread of living in brutal hierarchies, and the shapes that friendship and protection take to counteract these grim realities.
—Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Madrid’s hierarchy responded to Laporta’s words by ordering staff at its TV station to quickly assemble and publish a video that apparently showed Franco meeting with Barca officials.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The canonization of the youthful saints comes at a time when the Catholic Church, led by an all-male hierarchy where senior figures are usually over 60, is exploring new ways to engage younger generations.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
The Wax Child is about the dread of living in brutal hierarchies, and the shapes that friendship and protection take to counteract these grim realities.
—Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Madrid’s hierarchy responded to Laporta’s words by ordering staff at its TV station to quickly assemble and publish a video that apparently showed Franco meeting with Barca officials.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The canonization of the youthful saints comes at a time when the Catholic Church, led by an all-male hierarchy where senior figures are usually over 60, is exploring new ways to engage younger generations.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hierarchy
Noun
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The Outset also eliminates the need to climb up a ladder to bed, something particularly valuable for pets, small children, elderly campers, and those who took one too many pulls off the Jack bottle around the campfire.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Sep. 2025
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One of the quickest projects in its rejuvination was likely Saturday’s playground build, when volunteers helped put in new slides, ladders, a spinner and swings, all in one day.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Earlier this week, in partnership with data firm Statista, Newsweek published its ranking of World's Best Smart Hospitals 2026.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Although there was a lot of buzz about Nelson’s arrival in the offseason because of his recruiting ranking, Maddux Madsen won the starting job going into the 2024 season.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Geomagnetic storms are classified using a G-scale, which ranks their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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That synchronization layer doesn’t yet exist at scale.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hierarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hierarchy. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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