social hierarchy

NOUN

pecking order

Synonyms

STRONGEST

food chain hierarchy power structure social structure

WEAK

chain of command class structure corporate ladder dominance due order echelons grouping line of dominance order placing position ranking scale social ladder social pyramid social stratification

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There was a rigid social hierarchy, and I didn’t fit in anywhere.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

However, based on the current data, Dr Brandherm said it cannot be confirmed whether there was a social hierarchy in the settlement.

From BBC • Jan. 1, 2026

It becomes “a tool to insert yourself on the social hierarchy and compare yourself to other people, trying to perform for other people, to get the attention of other people.”

From MarketWatch • Nov. 5, 2025

Season 1 of "Gen V" unrolls similarly, with that previously cited incident upending the social hierarchy and thrusting Marie to the top of the campus heap.

From Salon • Sep. 29, 2023

It is likely that the first British villages in North America, thousands of miles from the House of Lords, would have lost some of the brutally graded social hierarchy that characterized European life.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

social hierarchy

Example Sentences

Related Words