hierarchy

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A system in which people or things are ranked one above another by status or importance.

   In most companies there is a clear hierarchy from junior staff to managers.

2. 2
   noun

   An ordered arrangement in which each thing is ranked relative to the others.

   We put honesty first in our hierarchy of values.

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, “to rule”), equivalent to hiero- + -archy. The H was re-added c. 1500 due to influence from Classical Latin.

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