rank and file
noun
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
Origin of rank and file
Examples from the Web for rank and file
British Dictionary definitions for rank and file
rank and file
noun
Word Origin and History for rank and file
rank and file
1590s, in reference to the horizontal and vertical lines of soldiers marching in formation; thence generalized to "common soldiers" (1796) and "common people" (1860).
Culture definitions for rank and file
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.
Idioms and Phrases with rank and file
rank and file
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.