English · Word Candidate

hierarchy

/ˈhaɪ.ə.ɹɑː(ɹ).ki/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: hierarchies

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A body of authoritative officials organized in nested ranks.

Noun

Examples

Gay men and bisexuals were blamed for the [AIDS] epidemic for much the same reason that the church hierarchy in the Middle Ages accused Jewish people of creating bubonic plague by "poisoning the wells."

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

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.

Noun

Examples

Social defeat arises in strict social hierarchies in which the few dominate the many. Overcrowding exacerbates the many ills of social defeat within these social hierarchies based on dominance.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “hierarchy” mean?

A body of authoritative officials organized in nested ranks.

Is “hierarchy” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.