rank and file

noun

1. the members of a group or organization apart from its leaders or officers.

2. rank.

rank and file

noun

1. the ordinary soldiers of an army, excluding the officers

2. the great mass or majority of any group or organization, as opposed to the leadership

3. (modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of the rank and file

   rank-and-file opinion

   rank-and-file support

rank and file

1. 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.

Other Word Forms

• rank-and-file adjective
• rank and filer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rank and file¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

At the top of the Labour Party it's common to find frustration that the rank and file don't all appreciate what they see as the cold facts.

From BBC

There is also consternation among rank and file too.

From BBC

What has been illustrated this week is that the leadership has not understood what its rank and file are willing to tolerate.

From BBC

The spending plan narrowly cleared a preliminary vote in the Senate late on Saturday after party leaders scrambled to arm-twist hesitant members of their rank and file.

From BBC

Immigration raids in Los Angeles have affected rank and file employees, not the business owners who hired them.

From Los Angeles Times