power structure

American  

noun

1. the system of authority or influence in government, politics, education, etc..

   The state elections threatened to upset the existing power structure.

2. the people who participate in such a system.

   She hoped to become a part of the power structure.

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power structure British  

noun

1. the structure or distribution of power and authority in a community

2. the people and groups who are part of such a structure

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Etymology

Origin of power structure

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The notifications are routine in wiretap investigations once surveillance ends, but the letters set off a wave of panic across California’s political power structure.

From Los Angeles Times

The suspects, said NABU, had created a parallel power structure inside the state enterprise overseeing Ukraine's nuclear power plants, which supply half of the country's energy.

From Barron's

He wasn’t talking to them or to the decrepit Democratic power structure they represent.

From Salon

Mamdani’s victory could mark the end of old power structures in New York, he said, stemming from demographic changes and the shifting “ethnic politics” of the city.

From Salon

Some residents question plans for the utility to issue rebates to xAI for building the new power structures it needs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• hierarchy
• ruling class