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
And so this idea of no hierarchies—that was the idea.
—
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
This ultra-affordable option starts at just $599, taking the Apple pricing hierarchy and tossing it in a blender.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026
When societies emphasize equality, traditional hierarchy loses persuasive power.
—Scott Hamilton, STAT, 4 Mar. 2026
That includes a president, a parliament and varying governmental, military and religious hierarchies, noted Paul Salem, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
This ultra-affordable option starts at just $599, taking the Apple pricing hierarchy and tossing it in a blender.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026
When societies emphasize equality, traditional hierarchy loses persuasive power.
—Scott Hamilton, STAT, 4 Mar. 2026
That includes a president, a parliament and varying governmental, military and religious hierarchies, noted Paul Salem, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hierarchy
Noun
-
Set up a ladder for reaching high light fixtures.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But moving up the income ladder, Florida — and Miami-Dade in particular — faces housing shortages seen almost nowhere else in the United States, the report shows.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Experts say the ranking is driven by spikes in grass and weed pollen, along with longer pollen seasons.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
As of Friday, Texas has a WAB ranking of 46, one spot ahead of Oklahoma.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Maplewood and Half Acre say their respective businesses have been resilient, but as in many industries, there may be strength in scale.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
While Islamic State West Africa Province has staged a growing number of attacks against the military in recent months, observers say this is the first time in recent history that the group has successfully launched simultaneous attacks of this scale in the region.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hierarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hierarchy. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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