rank and file
noun
1
: the enlisted personnel of an armed force
2
: the individuals who constitute the body of an organization, society, or nation as distinguished from the leaders
Examples of rank and file in a Sentence
the chosen few might have the opportunity for a trip in the space shuttle, but it will be a while before the rank and file are taking space trips
Recent Examples on the Web
Berkeley is struggling to retain city workers, both rank and file and key top administrators.
—
East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024
Luna said Friday that the agreement Democrats initially made with Johnson's team came about in a closed-door meeting that did not include rank and file Republicans.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
There has been friction between the incoming rank and file DOGE staff and Ramaswamy, the sources said, and Ramaswamy has been subtly encouraged to exit.
—Jay Peters, The Verge, 20 Jan. 2025
Williams regularly berated the militia’s rank and file.
—Joshua Kaplan, ProPublica, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rank and file
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024
Luna said Friday that the agreement Democrats initially made with Johnson's team came about in a closed-door meeting that did not include rank and file Republicans.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
There has been friction between the incoming rank and file DOGE staff and Ramaswamy, the sources said, and Ramaswamy has been subtly encouraged to exit.
—Jay Peters, The Verge, 20 Jan. 2025
Williams regularly berated the militia’s rank and file.
—Joshua Kaplan, ProPublica, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rank and file
Cite this Entry
“Rank and file.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rank%20and%20file. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share