Hierarchy

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈhaɪə.ɹɑː.kɪ/, /ˈhaɪɹ.ɑːɹ.kɪ/

Origin

From Old French ierarchie (French hiérarchie), from Latin hierarchia, from Ancient Greek ἱεραρχία (hierarkhia, "rule of a high priest"), from ἱεράρχης (hierarkhēs, "high priest"), from ἱερός (hieros, "holy") and ἄρχω (arkhō, "I rule").

Full definition of hierarchy

Noun

1. A body of authoritative officials organized in nested ranks.
• 2013-08-10, Lexington, Keeping the mighty honest, The Washington Post's proprietor through those turbulent Watergate days, Katharine Graham, held a double place in Washington’s hierarchy: at once regal Georgetown hostess and scrappy newshound, ready to hold the establishment to account.
2. Any group of objects ranked so that every one but the topmost is subordinate to a specified one above it.

Related terms

• hierarch
• hierarchic
• hierarchical
• hierarchically