Meanings
hierarchical1
- not comparableClassified or arranged according to various criteria into successive ranks or grades.
She claimed that only a hierarchical society with a leisure class at the top can produce works of 'true' art.
Synonyms: hierarchic, hierarchial
- not comparableReflecting relationships wholly consisting of subranks subsumed by ranks, a branching pattern of logic modeled like a tree.
Synonyms: hierarchic, hierarchial
hierarchical2
- not comparablePertaining to a hierarch (a high-ranking priest or bishop).
Synonyms: hierarchial, hierarchic, hierarchal
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivePertaining to a hierarchy (a ranking).
adjectiveClassified or arranged according to various criteria into successive ranks or grades.
adjectiveReflecting relationships wholly consisting of subranks subsumed by ranks, a branching pattern of logic modeled like a tree.
adjectivePertaining to a hierarch (a high-ranking priest or bishop).
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveclassified according to various criteria into successive levels or layers
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
hierarchical · adjective
From hierarchy + -ical; compare French hiérarchique.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan jeràrquic, jeràrquic
- jeràrquicpertaining to a hierarchy
- jeràrquicclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Czech hierarchický
- hierarchickýpertaining to a hierarchy
Danish hierarkisk
- hierarkiskpertaining to a hierarchy
Dutch hiërarchisch
- hiërarchischpertaining to a hierarchy
Esperanto hierarkia
- hierarkiapertaining to a hierarchy
Finnish hierarkkinen, hierarkkinen
- hierarkkinenpertaining to a hierarchy
- hierarkkinenof or pertaining to an ecclesiastic or priestly order
- hierarkkinenclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
French hiérarchique, hiérarchique
- hiérarchiquepertaining to a hierarchy
- hiérarchiqueclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
German hierarchisch, hierarchisch
- hierarchischpertaining to a hierarchy
- hierarchischclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Greek ιεραρχικός, ιεραρχικός
- ιεραρχικός (ierarchikós)pertaining to a hierarchy
- ιεραρχικός (ierarchikós)of or pertaining to an ecclesiastic or priestly order
- ιεραρχικός (ierarchikós)classified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Hungarian hierarchikus
- hierarchikusclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Indonesian hierarkis, hierarkis
- hierarkispertaining to a hierarchy
- hierarkisof or pertaining to an ecclesiastic or priestly order
- hierarkisclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Italian gerarchico, gerarchico
- gerarchicopertaining to a hierarchy
- gerarchicoclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Malay berhierarki, berhierarki
- berhierarkipertaining to a hierarchy
- berhierarkiof or pertaining to an ecclesiastic or priestly order
- berhierarkiclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Māori whai paparanga
- whai paparangaclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Polish hierarchiczny
- hierarchicznyclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Portuguese hierárquico, hierárquico
- hierárquicopertaining to a hierarchy
- hierárquicoclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Romanian ierarhic
- ierarhicpertaining to a hierarchy
Russian иерархи́ческий
- иерархи́ческий (ijerarxíčeskij)pertaining to a hierarchy
Spanish jerárquico
- jerárquicopertaining to a hierarchy
Swedish hierarkisk, hierarkisk
- hierarkiskpertaining to a hierarchy
- hierarkiskclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Tagalog halpunuanin
- halpunuaninpertaining to a hierarchy
Turkish hiyerarşik, hiyerarşik
- hiyerarşikpertaining to a hierarchy
- hiyerarşikclassified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Ukrainian ієрархі́чний, ієрархі́чний
- ієрархі́чний (ijerarxíčnyj)pertaining to a hierarchy
- ієрархі́чний (ijerarxíčnyj)classified or arranged into successive ranks or grades
Welsh hierarchaidd
- hierarchaiddpertaining to a hierarchy
Cite this entry
hierarchical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hierarchical
“hierarchical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hierarchical. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hierarchical,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hierarchical.
Source: hierarchical on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.