hierarchy

noun

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.

A body of authoritative officials organized in nested ranks.

Any group of objects ranked so that every one but the topmost is subordinate to a specified one above it.

Roots

hieroshier- · Greek · sacred arkho-arch · Greek · to rule

Synonyms for hierarchy

thearchyadj precedencen patriarchyn pyramidn bureaucracyn

Synonyms & related words for hierarchy

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of hierarchy — including thearchy, precedence, patriarchy, pyramid, bureaucracy. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to hierarchy

Explore words related to hierarchy — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include hierarchize, hierarchization, hierarchic, hierarchical, hierarchal, hierarchically, hagiocracy, nonhierarchical. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for hierarchy

Common synonyms for hierarchy include thearchy, precedence, patriarchy, pyramid, bureaucracy — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does hierarchy come from?

The word hierarchy breaks down into 2 roots of Greek origin: hier-, from Greek hieros (“sacred”); and -arch, from Greek arkho (“to rule”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.