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hierarchy

HY-er-ahr-kee /ˈhaɪə.rɑː.ki/

nounB2GRESATTOEFLIELTSCAT

generalacademicbusiness

A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status, power, or authority.

Implies a vertical structure with fewer people at the top holding power and many at the base.

The story behind the word. Originally created in ancient Greek by Dionysius the Areopagite to describe the sacred ranks of angels in heaven. Over centuries, the word transitioned from divine orders to describe secular human rankings in armies, churches, and governments.

Word relationships

pecking order: 'Pecking order' is an informal idiom, while 'hierarchy' is formal and structural.
ranking: 'Ranking' refers to a list of order, whereas 'hierarchy' describes an entire structural system.

egalitarianism: 'Egalitarianism' promotes equal rights and status for all people without ranked tiers.

Commonly confused with

anarchy: 'Anarchy' is the absence of governing authority, whereas 'hierarchy' is a rigid structure of authority.

Word family

hierarchical (adjective): Arranged in order of rank or power.
hierarchically (adverb): In a manner organized by rank.

Collocations

strict hierarchy
social hierarchy
corporate hierarchy
feudal hierarchy

Idioms & expressions

pecking order

Example sentences

"The corporate hierarchy required all project proposals to be approved by three levels of management." Corporate structure
"In every complex society, a strict hierarchy emerges to allocate resources and command." Sociological study

Memory hook

HIER (higher) + ARCH (rule) = ruling from higher up. Higher ranks ruling lower ranks.

When not to use

Do not use for informal or horizontal social groups where power is distributed equally.

Fun facts

For over a thousand years, 'hierarchy' was used exclusively to describe the organization of angels before being applied to human institutions.