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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 support
rank-and-file opinion
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.
Derived Forms
- rank and filer, noun
Other ˜yÐÄvlog Forms
- °ù²¹²Ô°ì-²¹²Ô»å-´Ú¾±±ô±ð adjective
˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins
Origin of rank and file1
Idioms and Phrases
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.Example Sentences
And whispers of dissent among the rank and file are spreading.
It is perfectly believable when some currently working at the club say morale among the rank and file is at its lowest ebb.
The rank and file are very different and have different concerns.
"The best thing the studios could do for fire relief is to bring work back for the rank and file LA film workers," says Mark Worthington, a production designer whose home burned down in Altadena.
In Gaza, the Israeli military has killed more than 17,000 Hamas fighters, a devastating blow to the group’s rank and file, affecting 22 of Hamas’ 24 battalions.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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