social structure

[soh-shuhl struhk-cher] / ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˈstrʌk tʃər /

NOUN

pecking order

Synonyms

STRONGEST

food chain hierarchy power structure

WEAK

chain of command class structure corporate ladder dominance due order echelons grouping line of dominance order placing position ranking scale social hierarchy social ladder social pyramid social stratification

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.

Female wasps began aggressively competing for dominance, and the colony's normal social structure quickly unraveled.

From Science Daily • May 26, 2026

Rational choices within families result in the Great Decompression, with deep consequences for the nation’s social structure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The law stipulates that under the "right to self-identity", settlements are entitled to protect and preserve their "social structure".

From Barron's • Oct. 20, 2025

The show’s thorough, wonderfully readable catalog refers to the power of “funerary magnificence” in the kingdom’s social structure.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2025

The culture of possibility that Daisy Ford embraced and put to use so brilliantly on behalf of her daughters was passed on to her by the peculiarities of the West Indian social structure.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

social structure

Example Sentences

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