the rank and file
noun
1
: the people in the army, navy, air force, etc., who are not officers
2
: the members of a group or organization who are not leaders
The rank and file is/are unhappy with the chairman's decision.
Examples of the rank and file in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s important because unearned income tends to represent a greater share of total income for the wealthy compared with the rank and file.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
What to watch: If layoffs do happen, then clearly this wasn't good for the rank and file, says Lee Adler, a lecturer at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
—Emily Peck, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025
Trench life for the rank and file along the eastern front that ran through Belorussia, Galicia, and Romania from 1915 to 1917 was an inhuman experience.
—Antony Beevor, Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2022
The decision — a preview of the challenges of covering a new Trump Administration — added to the dread already felt among the rank and file who are already bracing for cost-cutting in the new year, according to one insider not authorized to comment publicly.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
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Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
What to watch: If layoffs do happen, then clearly this wasn't good for the rank and file, says Lee Adler, a lecturer at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
—Emily Peck, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025
Trench life for the rank and file along the eastern front that ran through Belorussia, Galicia, and Romania from 1915 to 1917 was an inhuman experience.
—Antony Beevor, Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2022
The decision — a preview of the challenges of covering a new Trump Administration — added to the dread already felt among the rank and file who are already bracing for cost-cutting in the new year, according to one insider not authorized to comment publicly.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the rank and file
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Cite this Entry
“The rank and file.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20rank%20and%20file. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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