hierarchy
UK[ˈhaɪə.rɑː.ki]US[ˈhaɪə.rɑːr.ki]
n
A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority.
n
The clergy of the Catholic Church or of an episcopal Church, organized into ranks.
n
An arrangement or classification of things according to relative importance or inclusiveness.
Morpheme Breakdown
hier
archy
hier
sacred
archy
rule
Etymology
The word 'hierarchy' entered English in the 14th century via Old French and Medieval Latin from the Greek hierarkhia, meaning "rule of a high priest". This Greek term was a compound of hieros ("sacred, holy") and arkhē ("rule, beginning"). Originally, it described the celestial order of angels and the organized ranks of the clergy, a system of sacred governance. Over time, the meaning generalized from specifically religious ranking to any system where people or concepts are arranged in a graded order, secularizing the ancient logic of "sacred rule" into the modern abstract concept of structured levels of authority or importance.
Analysis
Structure: hier (sacred) + archy (rule)
- hier: From Greek hieros (ἱερός), meaning "sacred, holy". It functions as a combining form relating to sacred things or priests.
- archy: From Greek -arkhia (ἀρχία), from arkhē (ἀρχή), meaning "rule, government". It functions as a noun-forming suffix denoting a type of rule or system of government.
Examples
The corporate hierarchy determines the chain of command.
The church hierarchy gathered for an important synod.
The data is organized in a hierarchy of folders and subfolders.