hi·er·ar·chy (h   -rär k , hrär-)n. pl. hi·er·ar·chies 1. A body of persons having authority. 2. a. Categorization of a group of people according to ability or status. b. The group so categorized. 3. A series in which each element is graded or ranked: put honesty first in her hierarchy of values. 4. a. A body of clergy organized into successive ranks or grades with each level subordinate to the one above. b. Religious rule by a group of ranked clergy. 5. One of the divisions of angels. [Middle English ierarchie, from Old French, from Medieval Latin hierarchia, from Greek hierarkhi  , rule of a high priest, from hierarkhs, high priest; see hierarch.] |
hierarchy [ˈhaɪəˌrɑːkɪ]
n pl -chies
1. a system of persons or things arranged in a graded order
2. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) a body of persons in holy orders organized into graded ranks
3. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) the collective body of those so organized
4. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) a series of ordered groupings within a system, such as the arrangement of plants and animals into classes, orders, families, etc.
5. (Linguistics) (Mathematics) Linguistics Maths a formal structure, usually represented by a diagram of connected nodes, with a single uppermost element Compare ordering, heterarchy, tree [6]
6. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) government by an organized priesthood
[from Medieval Latin hierarchia, from Late Greek hierarkhia, from hierarkhēs high priest; see hiero-, -archy]
hierarchical , hierarchic adj
hierarchically adv
hierarchism n
Hierarchy a body of officials arranged in ranks; each of three groups of angels; ecclesiastics, priests, or clergy, collectively.
Examples: hierarchy of angels, 1398; of being, 1875; of clergy, 1563; of concepts, 1864; of intelligence, 1875; of priests.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  hierarchy - a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system; "put honesty first in her hierarchy of values"celestial hierarchy - the collective body of angels data hierarchy - an arrangement of data consisting of sets and subsets such that every subset of a set is of lower rank than the set taxonomy - a classification of organisms into groups based on similarities of structure or origin etc system, scheme - a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole; "a vast system of production and distribution and consumption keep the country going" series - similar things placed in order or happening one after another; "they were investigating a series of bank robberies" |
| 2. | hierarchy - the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body organization, organisation - a group of people who work together governance, governing body, organisation, administration, brass, establishment, organization - the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something; "he claims that the present administration is corrupt"; "the governance of an association is responsible to its members"; "he quickly became recognized as a member of the establishment" hierarch - a person who holds a high position in a hierarchy |
hierarchy
noun grading, ranking, social order, pecking order, class system, social stratum Even in the desert there was a kind of social hierarchy.
Quotations
"We rank ourselves by the familiar dog system, a ladderlike social arrangement wherein one individual outranks all others, the next outranks all but the first, and so on down the hierarchy" [Elizabeth Marshall Thomas Strong and Sensitive Cats]
"In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence" [Laurence Peter The Peter Principle]
"We rank ourselves by the familiar dog system, a ladderlike social arrangement wherein one individual outranks all others, the next outranks all but the first, and so on down the hierarchy" [Elizabeth Marshall Thomas Strong and Sensitive Cats]
"In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence" [Laurence Peter The Peter Principle]
Translations
hierarchy
n → Hierarchie f
n hierarchy [ˈhaiəraːki]
(an) arrangement (of usually people in a group, also things etc) in order of rank, importance etc. hiërargie مراتِب، درجات، نِظام درجات йерархия hierarchie hieraki; rangorden die Hierarchie ιεραρχία jerarquía hierarhia سلسله مراتب hierarkia hiérarchie מִדרָג पदानुक्रम hijerarhija hierarchia hierarki stigveldi, stigskipt kerfi gerarchia 階級制 계층 hierarchija hierarhija hierarki hiërarchie, pikorde rangordning, hierarki hierarchia hierarquia ierarhie иерархия hierarchia hierarhija hijerarhija hierarki การจัดระบบตามลำดับขั้น hiyerarşi, aşama sırası 階層 ієрархія سلسلئہ مراتب hệ thống thứ bậc 等级
adj hieˈrarchical [-ˈraː-]
hiërargies تَدَرُّجي، تسلسلي йерархически hierarchický hierakisk hierarchisch ιεραρχικός jerárquico hierarhiline سلسله مراتبی hierarkkinen hiérarchique מִדרָגִי शासक पुरिहित वर्ग hijerarhijski hierarchikus menurut hierarki stigveldis- gerarchico 階級制の 계층제의 hierarchinis hierarhisks mengikut hieraki hierarchisch hierarkisk hierarchiczny hierárquico ierarhic иерархический hierarchický hierarhičen hijerarhijski hierarkisk การจัดระบบตามลำดับขั้น hiyerarşik, aşama sırasına ait 階層式 ієрархічний سلسلے سے مرتب thuộc về hệ thống thứ bậc 等级的
Notice the second r in hierarchy .
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