hierarchy

Meaning

1. A body of authoritative officials organized in nested ranks.
2. A social, religious, economic or political system or organization in which people or groups of people are ranked with some superior to others based on their status, authority or some other trait.
3. Any group of objects ranked so that every one but the topmost is subordinate to a specified one above it.

Synonyms

rank

power structure

level

class

pecking order

genealogy

gradation

grade

layer

order

pedigree

prelacy

sequence

stratum

subsequence

time

⌚

ranking order

hierarchical structure

rank order

laminated structure

layered structure

prelateship

quantizing structure

spliced joint

hierarchy configuration

class rating

clergy

economic organization

era

firm

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhaɪ.ə.ɹɑː(ɹ).ki/

Etymology

From Middle English ierarchie, jerarchie, from Old French ierarchie, jerarchie, from Late Latin ierarchia, from Latin hierarchia, from Ancient Greek ἱεραρχία (hierarkhía, “rule of a high priest”), from ἱεράρχης (hierárkhēs, “high priest”), from ἱερός (hierós, “holy”) + ἄρχω (árkhō, “I rule”). The H was re-added c. 1500 due to influence from Classical Latin.