hierarchical
adjective
hi·er·ar·chi·cal
| \ ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-kəl also hir-ˈär-
\
\
variants:
or hierarchic \ ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-kik also hir-ˈär-
\
\
Definition of hierarchical
: of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy
a hierarchical society a hierarchical order in the church
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Other Words from hierarchical
hierarchically
\ ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-k(ə-)lē
also hir-ˈär- \
adverb
also hir-ˈär- \
adverb
Examples of hierarchical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This hierarchical structure was devised for a world in which employees were required to follow a clear set of instructions. — The Economist, "Running a company is a permanent juggling act," 29 Aug. 2019 In keeping with the hierarchical character of Chinese socialism, the top officials never rub shoulders with the public. — Jane Perlez, BostonGlobe.com, "At Mao’s beach, China’s leaders still make history as lifeguards hide from the sun," 22 Aug. 2019 There had been smaller, less hierarchical and organised gangs in areas like District Six from which people were forcibly removed. — Don Pinnock, Quartz Africa, "Cape Town’s bloody gang violence is deeply rooted in its racist history," 16 Aug. 2019 However, the Obama administration’s approach to immigration enforcement was organized by a clear, hierarchical set of priorities. — Emily Ryo, The Conversation, "How ICE enforcement has changed under the Trump administration," 29 July 2019 Most social mammals also have a hierarchical ranking for females, with top females dominating reproduction within the group, supported by subordinate females who stop breeding. — Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, "Ten Things We’ve Learned About Lions Since Disney’s Original ‘The Lion King’," 19 July 2019 The drug kingpin has also denied being responsible for all illicit activity ascribed to the cartel, which experts say has a hub-and-spoke business model rather than a hierarchical structure. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, "Chasing El Chapo cost U.S. a fortune. Was it money well spent?," 17 July 2019 The community plan was based on the concept of hierarchical streets, laid out to the contours of the canyons and the hills. — Martina Schimitschek, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Mission Hills: Stately homes and low-key commercial area define distinguished neighborhood," 30 June 2019 For decades, Japan’s strictly hierarchical education system has been a source of national pride. — Peg Tyre, BostonGlobe.com, "How to survive in an AI world," 13 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hierarchical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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