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
Cases that merit enhanced scrutiny are moved up the chain of command.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 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 military will not allow a vendor to insert itself into the chain of command by restricting the lawful use of a critical capability and put our warfighters at risk.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
The military provided the model for the chain of command; enlisted men and women were marshaled daily by their superior officers into a battle of wills with the mass of angry and resentful prisoners.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
