hierarchy
noun [ C ] uk/ˈhaɪə.rɑː.ki/ us/ˈhaɪ.rɑːr.ki/
C2 等级制度
a system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance
Some monkeys have a very complex social hierarchy. 有些猴群中出现了非常复杂的种群等级。
He rose quickly through the political hierarchy to become party leader. 他的政治地位迅速上升，成了党的领导人。
统治集团
the people in the upper levels of an organization who control it