different between hierarchy vs seniority

English

Etymology

From Middle English ierarchie, jerarchie, from Old French ierarchie, jerarchie, from Late Latin ierarchia, from Latin hierarchia, from Ancient Greek ???????? (hierarkhía, “rule of a high priest”), from ???????? (hierárkh?s, “high priest”), from ????? (hierós, “holy”) + ???? (árkh?, “I rule”). The H was re-added c. 1500 due to influence from Classical Latin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ha?.?.???(?).ki/, /?ha?.???(?).ki/

Noun

hierarchy (plural hierarchies)

1. A body of authoritative officials organized in nested ranks.
2. A social, religious, economic or political system or organization in which people or groups of people are ranked with some superior to others based on their status, authority or some other trait.
3. Any group of objects ranked so that every one but the topmost is subordinate to a specified one above it.

Related terms

• hierarch
• hierarchic
• hierarchical
• hierarchically
• hierarchize
• hierarchization

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English senyoryte, from Medieval Latin senioritas, from Latin senior (“elder”); see senior.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: s?n-?-?r??-t?, IPA^(key): /si?n?????ti/
• (General American) enPR: s?n-y?r??-t?, IPA^(key): /sin?j???ti/
• Rhymes: -???ti
• Hyphenation: se?nior?i?ty

Noun

seniority (countable and uncountable, plural seniorities)

1. A measure of the amount of time a person has been a member of an organization, as compared to other members, and with an eye towards awarding privileges to those who have been members longer.

   It's an old-fashioned company, with parking spaces and other perks doled out on the basis of seniority.

Synonyms

• anciennity
• eldership

Related terms

• senior

Translations

Further reading

• seniority in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• seniority in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.