chain of command
chain of command — noun
1. the system in an organization or group that shows who has the right to give inst
the system in an organization or group that shows who has the right to give instructions to whom, with the most senior person at the top and each level reporting to the level directly above
Nikhil reported a problem to his supervisor to send up the chain of command.
collocation: travel up the chain of command
In the military, soldiers are trained to respect the chain of command without question.
collocation: respect the chain of command
In the hospital, the chain of command starts with staff nurses reporting to charge nurses.
A junior employee who skipped her manager was told to follow the chain of command.
In the emergency, the plant's chain of command broke down — nobody could stop the machines.
- hierarchy
broader term; can apply to any ranking system, including social classes or biological classifications
- command structure
more military-specific; focuses on the arrangement of authority rather than the rank order alone
- reporting line
more common in business settings; refers to the direct link between a person and their manager
用法筆記
Often used with verbs like 'follow', 'respect', 'go up/go down', and 'break'. The phrase describes a fixed reporting hierarchy, not a general flow of communication.