# Hierarchical States

> The ability to nest states so shared behavior is defined once on an enclosing state.

Record: `lexicon:hierarchical-states`
Kind: capability
Layer: [Design Patterns Core](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/design-patterns-core.md)
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon#lexicon-hierarchical-states

Listed in [Lexicon terms](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/lexicon.md), after [Guarded Transitions](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/guarded-transitions.md) and before [Lazy Traversal](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/lazy-traversal.md).

## Category

- [Behavioral Patterns](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon-category/behavioral-patterns.md)

## Enabled by

- [Statecharts](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/statecharts.md)

## Linked from

- [Behavioral Patterns](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-behavioral-patterns.md)