not trying to be a smartass, I couldn't spell it either so I looked it up.
hierarchy
WordNet Dictionary
Definition: [n] the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body
[n] a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system; "put honesty first in her hierarchy of values"
Synonyms: pecking order, power structure
See Also: administration, brass, data hierarchy, establishment, governance, governing body, organisation, organization, series, system, taxonomy
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
Definition: \Hi"er*arch`y\, n.; pl. {Hierarchies}. [Gr. ?: cf. F.
hi['e]rarchie.]
1. Dominion or authority in sacred things.
2. A body of officials disposed organically in ranks and
orders each subordinate to the one above it; a body of
ecclesiastical rulers.
3. A form of government administered in the church by
patriarchs, metropolitans, archbishops, bishops, and, in
an inferior degree, by priests. --Shipley.
4. A rank or order of holy beings.
Standards and gonfalons . . . for distinction serve
Of hierarchies, of orders, and degrees. --Milton.
Computing Dictionary
Definition: An organisation with few things, or one thing, at the top and with several things below each other thing. An inverted tree structure. Examples in computing include a directory hierarchy where each directory may contain files or other directories; a hierarchical network (see hierarchical routing), a class hierarchy in object-oriented programming.
Thesaurus Terms
Related Terms: absolute monarchy, aedileship, animal kingdom, archbishopric, archiepiscopacy, archiepiscopate, aristocracy, autarchy, autocracy, autonomy, bishopric, bureaucracy, caste, chain of being, chairmanship, chancellery, chancellorate, chancellorship, chiefery, chiefry, chieftaincy, chieftainry, chieftainship, class, class structure, coalition government, colonialism, commonwealth, condition, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, consulate, consulship, continuity, deanery, degree, democracy, dictatorship, dictature, directorate, directorship, domain, dominion rule, duarchy, duumvirate, dyarchy, echelon, emirate, episcopacy, establishment, federal government, federation, feudal system, footing, garrison state, gerontocracy, governorship, gradation, headship, hegemony, heteronomy, hierocracy, higher echelons, higher-ups, home rule, kingdom, leadership, limited monarchy, lordship, magistracy, magistrateship, magistrature, management, martial law, masterdom, mastership, mastery, mayoralty, mayorship, meritocracy, metropolitanate, metropolitanship, militarism, military government, mineral kingdom, ministry, mob rule, mobocracy, monarchy, natural hierarchy, neocolonialism, nobility, ochlocracy, officialdom, oligarchy, order, pantisocracy, papacy, pashadom, pashalic, patriarchate, patriarchy, pecking order, place, police state, pontificality, pontificate, popedom, popehood, popeship, position, power structure, precedence, prefectship, prefecture, prelacy, premiership, presidency, presidentship, prime-ministership, prime-ministry, princedom, princeship, principality, proconsulate, proconsulship, protectorate, protectorship, provostry, provostship, pure democracy, pyramid, rank, rate, rating, realm, rectorate, rectorship, regency, regentship, representative democracy, representative government, republic, ruling class, ruling classes, seigniory, self-determination, self-government, seneschalship, seneschalsy, sequence, serial order, sheikhdom, sheriffalty, sheriffcy, sheriffdom, shrievalty, social democracy, sphere, stage, standing, station, status, stratocracy, subordination, supervisorship, suzerainship, suzerainty, technocracy, the administration, the authorities, the Establishment, the ingroup, the interests, the people upstairs, the power elite, the power structure, the top, thearchy, them, theocracy, they, top brass, totalitarian government, totalitarian regime, triarchy, tribunate, triumvirate, tyranny, vegetable kingdom, vizierate, viziership, welfare state
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