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rank and file

the ordinary members of a group

In From the Front Page

In more detail

1. (expression) ordinary members of a group or organization, rather than leaders or officials

2. (expression) soldiers who are not officers

Examples

• 1. The rank and file of the company were unhappy with the new policy.
• 2. The rank and file troops marched behind the generals.

How to use rank and file

Rank and file refers to the ordinary or lower-level members of an organization, whether military or civilian, emphasizing their distinction from leaders and decision-makers. It is often used to highlight the perspective or interests of common members versus those in positions of authority. The term carries a somewhat neutral to sympathetic tone, often implying that ordinary members have legitimate concerns or power that should not be overlooked.

Common phrases

• rank and file members
• rank and file workers
• rank and file soldiers
• among the rank and file
• the rank and file support

Synonyms

ordinary members · common members · grassroots · lower ranks · general membership

Opposites

leadership · management · officers

A common mistake

Learners sometimes treat rank and file as two separate words that can be modified independently (e.g., 'the rank and the file'), when it is a fixed compound expression used as a single noun phrase.

Nearby in From the Front Page

oversight, transparency, accountability, establishment, insurgent, recount

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained