ranking; order of precedence
Refers to the order or ranking among people, often in formal, official, or historical settings. The word is rare and may be replaced by more common terms like 順位 or 序列 in modern Japanese.
In old documents, the ranking of official positions was minutely stipulated.
Compound of 班 (group, squad) and 次 (next, order). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of ranking or precedence.