the rank and file
noun
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
The rank and file is/are unhappy with the chairman's decision.
Examples of the rank and file in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Laurent Yoon, media analyst with Bernstein, sees WBD as a necessity for Paramount but one that will not be easy on the rank and file tasked with running the businesses.
—
Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Last month, Weiss gathered the rank and file of CBS News in the network’s Broadcast Center on West 57th Street in New York, outlining her vision for the network, and 60 Minutes was on the agenda.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
My general intuition is that the rank and file at most of these labs probably are pretty similar, and that a lot of the differences are really at the executive level.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Too many turnaround attempts see a CEO throwing spaghetti at the wall in the hopes something will work, further confusing the rank and file and sapping their confidence in management.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the rank and file
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Last month, Weiss gathered the rank and file of CBS News in the network’s Broadcast Center on West 57th Street in New York, outlining her vision for the network, and 60 Minutes was on the agenda.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
My general intuition is that the rank and file at most of these labs probably are pretty similar, and that a lot of the differences are really at the executive level.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Too many turnaround attempts see a CEO throwing spaghetti at the wall in the hopes something will work, further confusing the rank and file and sapping their confidence in management.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the rank and file
Cite this Entry
“The rank and file.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20rank%20and%20file. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
