Definition of HIERARCHY

hierarchy

Meanings

Plural: hierarchies

Noun

  • a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system
    • "put honesty first in her hierarchy of values"
  • the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body
  • A body of authoritative officials organized in nested ranks.
  • 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.
  • Any group of objects ranked so that every one but the topmost is subordinate to a specified one above it.

Origin / 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.

Synonyms

pecking order, power structure

Scrabble Score: 20

hierarchy is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
hierarchy is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
hierarchy is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 18

hierarchy is a valid Words With Friends word