HIERARCHY


Meaning of HIERARCHY in English

n.

Pronunciation: ' h ī -( ə -) ˌ rär-k ē also ' hi(- ə )r- ˌ är-

Function: noun

Inflected Form: plural -chies

Etymology: Middle English ierarchie rank or order of holy beings, from Anglo-French jerarchie, from Medieval Latin hierarchia, from Late Greek, from Greek hierarch ē s

Date: 14th century

1 : a division of angels

2 a : a ruling body of clergy organized into orders or ranks each subordinate to the one above it especially : the bishops of a province or nation b : church government by a hierarchy

3 : a body of persons in authority

4 : the classification of a group of people according to ability or to economic, social, or professional standing also : the group so classified

5 : a graded or ranked series <a hierarchy of values>

Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary.      Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка.