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Hierarchy

Defined in 3 dictionaries — Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Black's (1891)

Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia

John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914

Originally, government by a body of priests. Stubbs, Const. Hist. § 376. Now, the body of officers in any church or ecclesiastical institution, considered as forming an ascending series of ranks or degrees of power and authority, with the correlative subjection, each to the one next above.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

Originally, government by a body of priests. Now, the body of officers in any church or ecclesiastical institution, considered as forming an ascending series of ranks or degrees of power and authority, with the correlative subjection, each to the one next above. Derivatively, any body of men, taken in their public capacity, and considered as forming a chain of powers, as above described.

A Dictionary of Law

Henry Campbell Black · 1891

Originally, government by a hody of priests. Now, the body of officers in any church or ecclesiastical institution, considered as forming an ascending series oi ranks or degrees of puwer and authority, with the correlative subjection, each to the one next above. Derivatively, any bedy of men, taken in their public capacity, and considered as forming a chain of powers, as above described.