chain of command
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of chain of command
First recorded in 1910–15
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.
Donaldson quickly rose through the DUP's ranks, no longer a politician of protest but a key figure in the party's chain of command, developing a reputation as a strong media performer and policymaker.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
The records show this early evacuation was run up the chain of command, meaning officials handling the emergency should have been aware of it.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
The procedure seems obvious now, but it established a chain of command that had previously varied from venue to venue.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026
"The chain of command within Iran's armed forces is unclear," said Farhad Mammadov, head of the Baku-based South Caucasus Studies Center.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
The Inca Empire also had a centralized political organization, but that actually worked to its disadvantage, because Pizarro seized the Inca chain of command intact by capturing Atahuallpa.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
