rank and file


noun

the members of a group or organization apart from its leaders or officers.

Origin of rank and file

First recorded in 1590–1600

OTHER WORDS FROM rank and file

rank-and-file, adjective

Words nearby rank and file

Example sentences from the Web for rank and file

British Dictionary definitions for rank and file

rank and file

noun

the ordinary soldiers of an army, excluding the officers
the great mass or majority of any group or organization, as opposed to the leadership
(modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of the rank and file rank-and-file opinion; rank-and-file support

Derived forms of rank and file

rank and filer, noun

Cultural definitions for rank and file

rank and file

The people who form the major portion of any group or organization, excluding the leaders: “The rumors of corruption at the top disturbed the party's rank and file.” This phrase comes from military usage, where enlisted men march in ranks (close abreast) and files (one behind another), whereas officers march outside these formations.

Idioms and Phrases with rank and file

rank and file

Followers, the general membership, as in This new senator really appeals to the rank and file in the labor unions. This expression comes from the military, where a rank denotes soldiers standing side by side in a row, and file refers to soldiers standing behind one another. The first recorded figurative use of this term was in 1860.