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
Synonyms
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
That decision is likely to go over well with Boeing’s rank and file, thousands of whom stayed in the Seattle area while the company’s headquarters moved farther and farther away, first to Chicago in 2001 and then to Arlington, Virginia, in 2022.
—
Allison Morrow, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024
One grievance among more than a dozen compiled by rank and file union lawyers who have scheduled a no confidence vote on Bowden-Lewis this week is her rocky relationship with the commission.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2024
As the commission was issuing her suspension, the union representing rank and file lawyers voted overwhelmingly in favor of a no confidence vote in her leadership.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2024
Redbox’s rank and file don’t seem convinced that help is on the way.
—Janko Roettgers, The Verge, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rank and file 
Allison Morrow, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024
One grievance among more than a dozen compiled by rank and file union lawyers who have scheduled a no confidence vote on Bowden-Lewis this week is her rocky relationship with the commission.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2024
As the commission was issuing her suspension, the union representing rank and file lawyers voted overwhelmingly in favor of a no confidence vote in her leadership.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2024
Redbox’s rank and file don’t seem convinced that help is on the way.
—Janko Roettgers, The Verge, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rank and file
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rank and file.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Rank and file.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rank%20and%20file. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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