Hierarchical refers to something that is arranged in a hierarchy, which is an arrangement of items that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. A hierarchy can link entities either directly or indirectly, and either vertically or diagonally. The only direct links in a hierarchy, insofar as they are hierarchical, are to ones immediate superior or to one of ones subordinates, although a system that is largely hierarchical can also incorporate alternative hierarchies.
Some examples of hierarchical structures include:
- Company organization charts, where the higher levels have control or precedence over the lower levels.
- Social orders, such as the hierarchical social order of junior high school popularity.
- Churches, such as the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, which have tables of organization that are "hierarchical" in the modern sense of the word.
In general, a hierarchical structure has clear levels of power and importance, with the leader at the highest point and layers of managers or subordinates under them.
