chain of command
noun phrase
: a series of executive positions in order of authority
a military chain of command
Examples of chain of command in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump's agenda will not be tolerated at the Defense Department.
—
Luis Martinez, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
In 1983, a potential nuclear exchange was averted when an officer in the Soviet Air Defence Force, Stanislav Petrov, correctly assessed that a signal of an incoming missile attack was a false alarm and did not trigger an urgent warning to his chain of command.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
If necessary, they are told to challenge those orders through their chain of command, or through attorneys associated with their units, or by contacting their branch’s inspector general.
—Samuel C. Mahaney, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025
But the military mostly exists on paper: There’s barely a chain of command and officers are notoriously venal.
—Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chain of command
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Luis Martinez, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
In 1983, a potential nuclear exchange was averted when an officer in the Soviet Air Defence Force, Stanislav Petrov, correctly assessed that a signal of an incoming missile attack was a false alarm and did not trigger an urgent warning to his chain of command.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
If necessary, they are told to challenge those orders through their chain of command, or through attorneys associated with their units, or by contacting their branch’s inspector general.
—Samuel C. Mahaney, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025
But the military mostly exists on paper: There’s barely a chain of command and officers are notoriously venal.
—Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chain of command
Cite this Entry
“Chain of command.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chain%20of%20command. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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