noun · academic
hierarchy
UK/ˈhaɪərɑːki/US/ˈhaɪərɑrki/HI·er·ar·chy
a system or organization in which people or things are ranked one above the other according to status or authority
Examples
“The corporate hierarchy made decision-making slow and bureaucratic.”
“Social hierarchies influence access to education and employment.”
“Understanding the hierarchy of needs helps explain consumer choices.”
Band 8 sentence
“A rigid hierarchy within the organisation discouraged junior staff from proposing innovative solutions.”
Collocations
- hierarchy of (authority / needs)
- social/corporate hierarchy
Word family
Common mistakes
Hierarchy is important.→The hierarchy is important.
hierarchy = order→hierarchy
Say it for a higher band
5order→6ranking→7+hierarchy
Synonyms
ranking
pecking order
Easily confused
ranking
“The university ranking improves each year according to the survey.”
Related words
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In Sublist 9
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