hierarchical

adjective

hi·​er·​ar·​chi·​cal ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-kəl How to pronounce hierarchical (audio)
 also  hir-ˈär-
variants or hierarchic
ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-kik How to pronounce hierarchical (audio)
 also  hir-ˈär-
: of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy
a hierarchical society
a hierarchical order in the church
hierarchically
ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce hierarchical (audio)
 also  hir-ˈär-
adverb

Examples of hierarchical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Prioritizing Deployment For Faster Results Unlike hierarchical security architectures, the DoD model focuses all elements on one central goal of protecting critical data. Ravi Ithal, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 So a hierarchical tree, with information being interpreted from the top down to the bottom, is unnecessary. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024 Consider a case where a boss was judged to be hierarchical. Hylke Faber, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Their structure is hierarchical, like Russian nesting dolls, with smaller shapes enclosed within larger ones. Nia Imara, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 Throughout the world, Catholicism is largely hierarchical, with priests and religious sisters doing most evangelical and missionary work. Tim Busch, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023 To execute this strategy, their leaders built hierarchical organizations with a command-and-control culture. Arindam Bhattacharya, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2023 He is known to be hands on, and the Indian intelligence bureaucracy is too hierarchical for something has high stakes as an international assassination to happen without Doval’s approval. Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2023 Adopting a Lattice Hierarchy Traditional hierarchical structures often stifle innovation, with a single gatekeeper having the power to dismiss new ideas. Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hierarchical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see hierarchy

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hierarchical was in 1561

Dictionary Entries Near hierarchical

Cite this Entry

“Hierarchical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hierarchical. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hierarchical

adjective
hi·​er·​ar·​chi·​cal ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-kəl How to pronounce hierarchical (audio)
variants or hierarchic
: of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy
hierarchically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on hierarchical

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