rank and file

See also: rank-and-file

English

Alternative forms

• rank-and-file

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  Duration: 2 seconds.0:02

  (file)

Noun

rank and file (uncountable)

1. Enlisted soldiers in a military organization, as would be arrayed in a grid pattern with ranks and files.
2. (idiomatic) The members of an organization, community, etc. who are not in leadership positions. quotations ▼

   The executives attend meetings in exotic locations while the rank and file stays at headquarters doing the bulk of the work.

   • 2013 May 23, Sarah Lyall, “British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Party”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     First, a prominent Tory called the party’s rank and file “swivel-eyed loons.”

   • 2017 November 16, Jo Ellison, “Help: the gym has turned us into slobs”, in Financial Times‎^[2]:

     Overnight, I have joined the rank and file of gym-bound office employees in their sneakers and suits. You know: the ones who walk around trailing sad little bags containing soggy towels and spare shoes and shampoo.

Translations

show ▼±enlisted soldiers

[Select preferred languages] [Clear all]

• Czech: řadový voják m
• Dutch: manschappen (nl) pl
• Finnish: rivimiehet pl; miehistö (fi)
• French: soldats du rang m pl
• German: einfache Soldaten m pl, Mannschaften (de) f pl
• Italian: milite (it) m, militare (it) m, soldato (it) m
• Maori: akunga
• Portuguese: fileiras f pl, soldados rasos m pl
• Russian: солдатня (ru) (soldatnja)
• Spanish: soldados rasos m pl

• Add translation : More

  masc.masc. dualmasc. pl.

  fem.fem. dualfem. pl.

  commoncommon dualcommon pl.

  neuterneuter dualneuter pl.

  singulardualplural

  imperfectiveperfective

  Noun class: Plural class:

  Transliteration: (e.g. zìmǔ for 字母)

  Literal translation:

  Raw page name: (e.g. 疲れる for 疲れた)

  Qualifier: (e.g. literally, formally, slang)

  Script code: (e.g. Cyrl for Cyrillic, Latn for Latin)
  

  Nesting: (e.g. Serbo-Croatian/Cyrillic)

show ▼±non-leaders

[Select preferred languages] [Clear all]

• Czech: řadový zaměstnanec m or sg
• Finnish: rivimiehet pl; miehistö (fi) (in a police department or similar hierarchic organisation); rivijäsenet pl (in an association)
• French: piétaille (fr) f
• German: die breite Masse f, Fußvolk (de) n, Basis (de) f, die niederen Ränge m pl
• Italian: bassa forza f
• Japanese: はしくれ (ja) (hashikure)
• Maori: akunga

• Add translation : More

  masc.masc. dualmasc. pl.

  fem.fem. dualfem. pl.

  commoncommon dualcommon pl.

  neuterneuter dualneuter pl.

  singulardualplural

  imperfectiveperfective

  Noun class: Plural class:

  Transliteration: (e.g. zìmǔ for 字母)

  Literal translation:

  Raw page name: (e.g. 疲れる for 疲れた)

  Qualifier: (e.g. literally, formally, slang)

  Script code: (e.g. Cyrl for Cyrillic, Latn for Latin)
  

  Nesting: (e.g. Serbo-Croatian/Cyrillic)