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hierarchal

/haɪəˈɹɑː(ɹ)kəl/

adjective

Relating to a hierarch.

“The bishop discharged his hierarchal duties by arbitrating the dispute.”

Similar

hierarchic hierarchical class-conscious stratified gradable graded ranked vertical

UncommonScrabble 18

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Meanings

hierarchal¹

adjectivehierarchal (not comparable)

not comparableRelating to a hierarch.
The bishop discharged his hierarchal duties by arbitrating the dispute.
1 more example
the great hierarchal standard
1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
Synonyms: hierarchic, hierarchical

hierarchal²

adjectivehierarchal (not generally comparable, comparative more hierarchal, superlative most hierarchal)

comparative more hierarchal · superlative most hierarchal

not comparableusuallySynonym of hierarchical (“pertaining to a hierarchy (ranking)”).
Synonyms: hierarchical

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveRelating to a hierarch.

Similar

hierarchic hierarchical

adjectiveSynonym of hierarchical (“pertaining to a hierarchy (ranking)”).

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveclassified according to various criteria into successive levels or layers

Similar

hierarchical hierarchic class-conscious stratified gradable graded ranked vertical

Also see

class-conscious gradable graded hierarchic hierarchical hierarchist ranked stratified vertical

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

hierarchal · adjective

From hierarch + -al.

Full word history & related roots →

hierarchal · adjective

Englishhierarchy
Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
Englishhierarchal

From hierarchy + -al.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch hiërarchisch

hiërarchischpertaining to a hierarch

Cite this entry

APA

hierarchal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hierarchal

MLA

“hierarchal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hierarchal. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hierarchal,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hierarchal.

Source: hierarchal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.