chain of command
nounUK /ˌtʃeɪn əv kəˈmɑːnd/
US /ˌtʃeɪn əv kəˈmænd/
The order of who is in charge of whom in a group.
In the army, soldiers follow the chain of command and report to their sergeant.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The official system in a workplace that shows who reports to whom.
Please take your complaint up the chain of command to the manager.
3. A series of people or groups through which orders pass from leaders to workers.
The message traveled down the chain of command to every team.
4. The order of seniority among officers in a military unit.
The captain is higher in the chain of command than the lieutenant.