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.
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 goal was to preserve the chain of command in law enforcement and the military and avoid chaos.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
It combines three special investigations bureaus from each of the three military branches into one, removing them from any direct chain of command.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
Firefighters said they adhered to the LAFD’s strict chain of command and did not question higher-ups, while those in charge had fuzzy memories or shifted responsibility to others.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 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.
