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
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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
-
Each writer’s personal ranking will appear in parentheses next to their name.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
In banked slalom, athletes get two individual runs down the course with their best time counting toward the final ranking.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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 11 Mar. 2026.
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