Meaning & use
hierarchal structure
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Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
a system in which people or things are organized into levels, with each level above or below another
Grammar: Countable: say 'a hierarchal structure' or 'hierarchal structures'.
Patterns
- a hierarchal structure of something
- in a hierarchal structure
- create a hierarchal structure
The company has a hierarchal structure with a CEO at the top.
In a hierarchal structure, information often moves slowly from the bottom to the top.
The army uses a strict hierarchal structure.
Word forms
| plural | hierarchal structures |
|---|
Common combinations
- a hierarchal structure of authority
- The church has a hierarchal structure of authority.
- in a hierarchal structure
- Each employee knows their place in a hierarchal structure.
- a flat hierarchal structure
- Startups often prefer a flat hierarchal structure.
- a rigid hierarchal structure
- The old firm had a rigid hierarchal structure.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hierarchical structure
- The standard and more common form; use this in most writing.
- chain of command
- Focuses on who gives orders to whom, not just the levels.
- ranking system
- Often used for positions or scores rather than the whole organization.
Opposites
Word family
- hierarchy noun
- A system of levels or the group of people at the top.
- hierarchical adjective
- Arranged in levels of importance.
- hierarchically adverb
- In a way that follows levels of importance.
Commonly confused: hierarchal structure or hierarchical?
hierarchal structure vs hierarchical
'Hierarchical' is an adjective, while 'hierarchal structure' is a noun phrase. Many people use 'hierarchical structure' instead.
Practice
Many large companies have a ______ structure with clear levels of management.
Choose one answer.
'Hierarchal' is the adjective that describes 'structure'. 'Hierarchy' is a noun, 'hierarchically' is an adverb, and 'hierarchies' is a plural noun, so none fit before 'structure'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hierarchal structure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.