# hierarchy

Pronunciation: US say "HY-uh-rar-kee" /ˈhaɪ.ə.ɹɑː(ɹ).ki/; UK say "HY-uh-rah-kee" /ˈhaɪ.ə.ɹɑː.ki/

## Noun

1. A social, religious, economic, or political system in which people or groups are ranked, with some placed above others based on status, authority, or another trait.
   - Simple: A system where people or groups are ranked, with some having more power than others.
   - _Feudal society rested on a rigid hierarchy that placed kings above lords and peasants below._
   - _Within the church hierarchy, bishops rank above ordinary priests._
2. A group of objects ranked so that every one except the topmost is subordinate to a specific object directly above it.
   - Simple: A set of things arranged in order, where each one sits below the one directly above it.
   - _File systems organize data into a hierarchy of folders, each nested within another._
   - _The taxonomic hierarchy ranks each category beneath the broader group that contains it._
3. A body of officials holding authority, organized in ranks nested one within another.
   - Simple: A group of officials in charge, arranged in ranks from the highest down to the lowest.
   - _The party's hierarchy met behind closed doors to choose a new leader._
   - _Within the civil service hierarchy, each official answers to the rank above._

## Origin

It comes from Ancient Greek ἱεραρχία (hierarkhía, 'rule of a high priest'), from ἱεράρχης ('high priest'), itself from ἱερός ('holy') plus ἄρχω ('I rule'). The word passed through Latin and Old French into Middle English, and the H was re-added around 1500 under the influence of Classical Latin.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/hierarchy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).