Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One who occupies a position of authority in a religious hierarchy.
  • noun One who occupies a high position in a hierarchy.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who rules or has authority in sacred things.
  • noun Specifically, in Greek antiquity, one of a body of officials or minor priests attached to some temples, as the sanctuary of Amphiaraus at Oropus, who had charge of the offerings of all kinds consecrated to the god by his votaries, and of the inscribing and setting up of the records relating to them.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One who has high and controlling authority in sacred things; the chief of a sacred order.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One who has high and controlling authority in sacred things; the chief of a sacred order; as, princely hierarchs.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a senior clergyman and dignitary
  • noun a person who holds a high position in a hierarchy

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Middle English jerarchis, hierarchs, from Medieval Latin hierarcha, dignitary, prelate, from Greek hierarkhēs, high priest : hieros, holy; see eis- in Indo-European roots + -arkhēs, -arch.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Late Latin hierarcha, Greek ἱεράρχης, hierarchēs; sacred (akin to Sanskrit ishiras vigorous, fresh, blooming) + leader, ruler, from to lead, rule: compare French hiérarque

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word hierarch.

Examples

  • The chief of a hierarchy is called the hierarch, each of the watchtowers is viewed as a hierarchy.

    Enochian angels Cliff Pickover 2006

  • Nested hierarch Zach - I was responding to your nonsense pertaining to nested hierarchies.

    A New Book 2010

  • Holy hierarch Tikhon, pray for the salvation of our souls.

    Eastern Europe 2009

  • During the signing of agreements with Iran last night, the President criticized a housing project which a Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) hierarch first said would finish in 2011, but ended up admitting that the project would be ready in 2013.

    OpEdNews - Diary: Venezuela's Chavez chides: "It all boils down to serious and detailed planning..." 2009

  • Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, my favorite American hierarch, has published a zinger of an article in the current issue of the world's most prestigious canon-law journal.

    What can Wuerl and Egan say now? Mike L 2007

  • Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, my favorite American hierarch, has published a zinger of an article in the current issue of the world's most prestigious canon-law journal.

    Archive 2007-11-01 Mike L 2007

  • The Universal hierarch surely would be reminding his brethren that Hollywood is living very well at this moment, that the benefits packages are rich and so are the paychecks.

    "Toxic" Studio-Union Relations? Steve Hulett 2007

  • Archbishop Raymond Burke, my favorite American hierarch, has issued the usual threat of excommunication, and for all I know has already carried it out.

    Archive 2007-11-01 Mike L 2007

  • In that respect he seems to me far more impressive than another important American hierarch who is also a canon lawyer: Cardinal Egan himself.

    What can Wuerl and Egan say now? Mike L 2007

  • In that respect he seems to me far more impressive than another important American hierarch who is also a canon lawyer: Cardinal Egan himself.

    Archive 2007-11-01 Mike L 2007

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.