antihierarchist
|an-ti-hi-er-arch-ist|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.haɪˈrɑɹ.kɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.haɪˈrɑː.kɪst/
against hierarchy
Etymology
'antihierarchist' is a modern English formation combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí', meaning 'against') with 'hierarchist' (from 'hierarchy' + '-ist').
'hierarchy' comes from Greek 'hierarchia' (from 'hieros' meaning 'sacred' and 'arkhēs' meaning 'ruler'), passed into Latin as 'hierarchia' and Middle English as 'hierarchie'; 'hierarchist' was formed from 'hierarchy' + the agentive suffix '-ist', and 'antihierarchist' was later formed by adding the prefix 'anti-'.
Initially, 'hierarchy' had connotations of sacred or priestly rule; over time it broadened to mean any ranked system of authority. Consequently, 'antihierarchist' developed to mean 'against such ranked or authority-based systems' in general.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who opposes hierarchies or hierarchical systems and favors non-hierarchical, egalitarian organization.
She is an antihierarchist who prefers egalitarian decision-making within the community.
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Adjective 1
opposed to hierarchical structures; favoring non-hierarchical or egalitarian arrangements.
They adopted an antihierarchist approach to running the co-op.
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Last updated: 2025/09/02 04:03