rank
1OTHER WORDS FOR rank
Idioms about rank
- to leave an assigned position in a military formation.
- to disagree with, defect from, or refuse to support one's colleagues, party, or the like.
Origin of rank
1OTHER WORDS FROM rank
rankless, adjectiveun·ranked, adjectiveWords nearby rank
Other definitions for rank (2 of 3)
Origin of rank
2synonym study for rank
OTHER WORDS FROM rank
rankish, adjectiverankly, adverbrankness, nounOther definitions for rank (3 of 3)
MORE ABOUT RANK
What does rank mean?
Rank most commonly refers to the position or status that has been assigned to someone or something to distinguish it from others in a group.
In certain organizations, especially the military, rank refers to someone’s official position in a hierarchy—an organizational structure in which people have increasing levels of authority based on their rank. For example, in the military, the lowest rank may be private, and the highest rank may be general.
The word can also be used to refer to less official positions or statuses (ones that have not been assigned but exist based on other factors), such as a person’s status within society. Rank can also be used collectively to refer to all of the people within a group with the same status.
As a verb, rank most commonly means to assign something a status or position to distinguish it from others in a group, as in Please rank the top five candidates in order from best to worst. It can also mean to have a particular rank or position, as in She ranks above all the other executives.
The verb rank is sometimes used in overlapping ways with the verb rate, but rate most commonly means to assign something a value or rating independently of other things, whereas rank typically means to determine the position of something compared to other things.
Unrelatedly, rank can also be used as an adjective meaning offensively strong, especially in smell or taste, as in There’s a rank odor coming from the trash can.
Rank is a very common word and has many other specific meanings as a noun, verb, and adjective.
Where does rank come from?
The first records of the word rank as an adjective come from before 1000. It comes from the Old English ranc, meaning “bold, proud, mature, showy.” The noun and verb senses of rank came later and have a different origin—the Old French ranc, meaning “row” or “line.”
The word rank can refer to a group of soldiers standing in a formation of rows. To break ranks is to leave one’s position in this formation, or, in a figurative sense, to disagree with or refuse to support one’s fellow members.
Used by itself, the plural form ranks refers collectively to the general members of an organization apart from its officers or leaders. The term rank and file refers to the same thing.
Most of the time, rank indicates authority or power. Generally, the higher your rank, the more power you have in a society or chain of command. To pull rank is to use your authority to make others comply.
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What are some other forms related to rank?
- ranked (past tense verb, adjective)
- ranking (continuous tense verb, noun, adjective)
What are some synonyms for rank?
What are some words that share a root or word element with rank?
What are some words that often get used in discussing rank?
What are some words rank may be commonly confused with?
How is rank used in real life?
Rank is a very common word that can be used in many different contexts. Most of its uses deal with the position of someone or something in relation to others.
Moments ago, Maj. Gen. Scott Spellmon was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General. The Change of Command ceremony for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is underway: https://t.co/czEuyXyZnX pic.twitter.com/4jq62oqLty
— USACE HQ (@USACEHQ) September 10, 2020
Alisson? Ederson? Schmeichel? 🤔
Who is the Premier League's greatest goalkeeper?
Rank the top 10 here: https://t.co/o8AJjGS13d#bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/qNkvonrlvP
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 1, 2020
Woolacombe beach in North Devon has been named 20 in TripAdvisor’s top 25 beaches in the world – in this year’s list, Woolacombe ranks higher than all of Cornwall’s beaches & all of Australia’s as well as being the highest ranking English beach https://t.co/drcsbVx3tX #visitdevon
— Visit Devon (@VisitDevon) September 9, 2020
Try using rank!
Is rank used correctly in the following sentence?
Many students work to improve their class rank based on their grades, but extracurricular activities should also be a priority.