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A '''hierarchy''' is an ordering of persons, ideas, or constructs from less to greater importance, in a tiered organizational structure.  Organizations may have a hierarchy, both formally and informally: for example, the [[Senate]] formally has no internal hierarchy, but informally, senior Senators may "rank" above junior Senators. [[Doctor]]s of academic disciplines (Ph.D.) in prestigious [[University|universities]] who have been awarded the distinction of occupying the "chair" of academic study are sometimes regarded as "high priests" of their discipline, and the varying levels of academic expertise in Boards of Education as representative of a hierarchy of education. Head coaches of sports teams and their staffs of assistants each constitute a hierarchy of athletic expertise. Military rank is an explicit form of operational hierarchy in every nation, for example, in the United States, from the Commander in Chief, the [[President of the United States of America|President]], and the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]], down to the least member of enlisted military personnel.

A '''hierarchy''' is an ordering of persons, ideas, or constructs from less to greater importance, in a tiered organizational structure.  Organizations may have a hierarchy, both formally and informally: for example, the [[Senate]] formally has no internal hierarchy, but informally, senior Senators may "rank" above junior Senators. [[Doctor]]s of academic disciplines (Ph.D.) in prestigious [[University|universities]] who have been awarded the distinction of occupying the "[[Chairman|chair]]" of academic study are sometimes regarded as "high priests" of their discipline, and the varying levels of academic expertise in [[Board of Education|Boards of Education]] as representative of a hierarchy of education. Head coaches of sports teams and their staffs of assistants each constitute a hierarchy of athletic expertise. Military rank is an explicit form of operational hierarchy in every nation, for example, in the United States, from the Commander in Chief, the [[President of the United States of America|President]], and the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]], down to the least member of enlisted military personnel.

The word '''hierarchy''' comes from ''hieros'', "priest", and ''archos'', "ruler", thus "priest-rule", from the ancient societal ordered levels of authoritative rule by a form of highly educated "priesthood", either [[secular]], as in [[politics]], [[education]] and [[science]], or [[Religion|religious]], either [[Paganism|pagan]] or [[Christian]]. The most readily recognized hierarchy is exemplified by the levels of religious authority in the [[Catholic Church]].

The word '''hierarchy''' comes from ''hieros'', "priest", and ''archos'', "ruler", thus "priest-rule", from the ancient societal ordered levels of authoritative rule by a form of highly educated "priesthood", either [[secular]], as in [[politics]], [[education]] and [[science]], or [[Religion|religious]], either [[Paganism|pagan]] or [[Christian]]. The most readily recognized hierarchy is exemplified by the levels of religious authority in the [[Catholic Church]].