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
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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
The opposition had been wasting away due to leadership disputes, lack of military support from foreign backers, a dwindling ability to pay its fighters, and apathy among the rank and file caused by the years-long stalemate.
—Suha Maayeh, Foreign Affairs, 23 July 2018
What’s the mood of the rank and file at the NBCUniversal cable networks and businesses Comcast intends to spin off next year?
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 Nov. 2024
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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
The opposition had been wasting away due to leadership disputes, lack of military support from foreign backers, a dwindling ability to pay its fighters, and apathy among the rank and file caused by the years-long stalemate.
—Suha Maayeh, Foreign Affairs, 23 July 2018
What’s the mood of the rank and file at the NBCUniversal cable networks and businesses Comcast intends to spin off next year?
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 Nov. 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 22 Jan. 2025.
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