The meaning of RANK AND FILE is the enlisted personnel of an armed force.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Rank and file'? The origin of the phrase ‘rank and file’ is the lining up of soldiers into ranks (that is, lines). Rank and file now refers to the ordinary members of any group but …

/ ˈræŋk ən ˈfɑɪl / Add to word list soldiers who are not officers, or the members of an organization who are not part of the leadership (Definition of rank and file from the Cambridge Academic Content …

RANK AND FILE meaning: 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

Definition of the rank and file noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the phrase rank and file, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Aug 18, 2025 · "Rank and file" is an idiomatic expression that refers to the ordinary members of an organization or group, positioned outside of the leadership or command hierarchy. It is a way to …

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 …

The rank and file are the ordinary members of an organization or the ordinary workers in a company, as opposed to its leaders or managers.

• While I have no special bond with the rank and file, I do sometimes have one with the officers. • The rank and file were drawn from forced levies laid upon the tax-paying population.