hierarchy

/ˈhaɪərɑːki/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhaɪərɑːrki/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhī-(ə-)ˌrär-kē also ˈhi(-ə)r-ˌär-/ (ame, mw)

hierarchy — noun

1. A hierarchy ranks people, groups, or things into levels where those at the top h

1.名詞B2
釋義

A hierarchy ranks people, groups, or things into levels where those at the top have more authority, status, or influence than those lower down.

例句

At the newspaper, a clear hierarchy ranked every position from junior reporter to editor-in-chief.

a clear hierarchy — levels of authority in an organization

Lan studied Maslow's hierarchy of needs in her psychology class last semester.

hierarchy of needs — fixed collocation from psychology

同義詞
  • ranking

    focuses on the order itself rather than the system; narrower in scope

  • pecking order

    informal; often used for animal groups or social settings

  • chain of command

    specific to military or formal organizational structures

反義詞
  • equality

    a state where no levels of authority or status exist

  • anarchy

    absence of any ranking or governing structure

文法句型

a hierarchy of [people / things / levels]

[adjective] hierarchy

用法筆記

Often followed by 'of' to name the basis of the ranking (hierarchy of needs, hierarchy of authority). Can be countable (a clear hierarchy) or uncountable (social hierarchy exists in most animal groups). The word carries a neutral tone in academic or descriptive use, but may imply unfairness when talking about rigid social structures.

常見錯誤

❌I created a hierarchy of my bookshelf color.
✅I organized my bookshelf by color.
💡hierarchy works for levels of importance or authority, not for arbitrary arrangement systems.

2. The hierarchy can also refer to the senior leaders and executives who hold the d

2.名詞B2
釋義

The hierarchy can also refer to the senior leaders and executives who hold the decision-making power within a company, institution, or other organization.

例句

The hierarchy decided to close the factory without informing the workers on the shop floor.

the hierarchy — collective noun for people at the top

When Diya asked for safer gear, the hierarchy told her to use the current equipment.

同義詞
反義詞
  • rank and file

    the ordinary members of an organization, as opposed to its leaders

文法句型

the hierarchy + [verb in singular or plural]

verb + the hierarchy

用法筆記

Used as a collective singular noun: it takes a singular verb (the hierarchy has decided) but refers to a group of people. Common in business, academic, and political contexts. Often carries a slightly critical tone — the hierarchy is presented as distant from ordinary workers or members. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 describes the ranking SYSTEM; sense 2 refers to the specific PEOPLE at the top.

常見錯誤

❌The hierarchy are meeting today.
✅The hierarchy is meeting today.
💡hierarchy is a collective noun and takes a singular verb in standard English.