Meaning & use
hierarchical structure
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Meanings
nouncountable
A way of arranging people or things in ranked levels, with each level having authority over the one below it.
Grammar: Countable: a hierarchical structure, several hierarchical structures.
Patterns
- a hierarchical structure of something
The company has a strict hierarchical structure with five levels of management.
A hierarchical structure makes clear who reports to whom.
Many armies rely on a hierarchical structure.
nouncountablecomputing
In computing and data, a design in which items are nested in groups, like folders inside folders.
Grammar: Often used for files and menus: a hierarchical structure of folders.
The files are stored in a hierarchical structure of folders.
The menu uses a hierarchical structure for easier navigation.
XML documents have a hierarchical structure.
Word forms
| plural | hierarchical structures |
|---|
Common combinations
- strict hierarchical structure
- The firm has a strict hierarchical structure.
- flatten the hierarchical structure
- Managers flattened the hierarchical structure.
- rigid hierarchical structure
- A rigid hierarchical structure slows decisions.
- organized in a hierarchical structure
- The data are organized in a hierarchical structure.
- traditional hierarchical structure
- Hospitals have a traditional hierarchical structure.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chain of command
- Chain of command is about who gives orders, while hierarchical structure describes the whole arrangement.
- pecking order
- Pecking order is informal and implies status, whereas hierarchical structure is neutral and formal.
- tiered system
- Tiered system stresses the levels but not necessarily authority.
- hierarchy
- Hierarchy is shorter and means the same system, and is more common.
Opposites
Word family
- hierarchy noun
- a system with ranked levels
- hierarchical adjective
- arranged in ranked levels
- hierarchically adverb
- in a ranked way
- structure noun
- the way parts are arranged
Commonly confused: hierarchical structure or hierarchic?
hierarchical structure vs hierarchic
Hierarchic is a rare variant of hierarchical; use hierarchical in most writing.
Practice
In a company with a hierarchical structure, decisions usually ___.
Choose one answer.
A hierarchical structure ranks levels, so authority comes from above. Equal decision-making is typical of a flat structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hierarchical structure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.