chain of command

American  

noun

1. a series of administrative or military ranks, positions, etc., in which each has direct authority over the one immediately below.

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Etymology

Origin of chain of command

First recorded in 1910–15

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chain of command

Ma Moe San Pan's case highlights a grim mutation of the junta's mandatory conscription laws: mounting pressure from the higher levels of the regime has created perverse incentives further down the chain of command.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

He then passed the communication up the White House chain of command.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

The aim is to tighten the military chain of command, turn an ideological militia into a neighborhood-based intelligence agency and emphasize an offensive approach.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The appointments came with aggressive goals that included tightening the military chain of command, turning an ideological militia into a neighborhood intelligence agency and emphasizing an offensive approach.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 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

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Related Words

• bureaucracy
• hierarchy
• network
• structure

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