ˈhī-(ə-)ˌrär-kē
as in ladder
a scheme of rank or order
honesty sits at the top of my hierarchy of values
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Recent Examples of hierarchy
The complex portrayal wasn’t that far from Göring, who was the guy behind the guy atop the Nazi hierarchy who on the surface was a charming narcissist reputed to be a great dinner party guest, but was at heart a cunningly manipulative villain.
—
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
The Wax Child is about the dread of living in brutal hierarchies, and the shapes that friendship and protection take to counteract these grim realities.
—Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Madrid’s hierarchy responded to Laporta’s words by ordering staff at its TV station to quickly assemble and publish a video that apparently showed Franco meeting with Barca officials.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The canonization of the youthful saints comes at a time when the Catholic Church, led by an all-male hierarchy where senior figures are usually over 60, is exploring new ways to engage younger generations.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
The Wax Child is about the dread of living in brutal hierarchies, and the shapes that friendship and protection take to counteract these grim realities.
—Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Madrid’s hierarchy responded to Laporta’s words by ordering staff at its TV station to quickly assemble and publish a video that apparently showed Franco meeting with Barca officials.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The canonization of the youthful saints comes at a time when the Catholic Church, led by an all-male hierarchy where senior figures are usually over 60, is exploring new ways to engage younger generations.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hierarchy
Noun
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Other items listed in the top 20 product groups responsible for injuries included exercise equipment, cans, basketballs, ladders, desks, rugs and bathtubs.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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The Oak Island Lighthouse was completed in 1958 and requires climbing up a series of ship ladders that reach more than 120 feet up to the top.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Earlier this week, in partnership with data firm Statista, Newsweek published its ranking of World's Best Smart Hospitals 2026.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Although there was a lot of buzz about Nelson’s arrival in the offseason because of his recruiting ranking, Maddux Madsen won the starting job going into the 2024 season.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These tariffs threaten to kneecap an emerging sector of innovation around the world, that is, for the first time, using traditional startup strategies and pathways to innovate, scale and grow.—
Nish Acharya,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Traditional data lakes can store raw data at scale but lack quality controls, while warehouses enforce structure but struggle with unstructured or fast changing data.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hierarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hierarchy. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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