The idiom "rank and file" refers to the ordinary members of a group or organization. It is often used to describe the common people who make up the majority of a group, as opposed to the leaders or those in positions of power.
For example, in a company, the "rank and file" employees would be the workers who do the day-to-day tasks, while the managers and executives would be the leaders. In a military unit, the "rank and file" soldiers would be the enlisted personnel, while the officers would be the leaders.
The term "rank and file" comes from the military, where soldiers are arranged in rows (ranks) and columns (files) for marching and fighting. Over time, the term has come to be used more broadly to refer to any group of people who are organized in a similar way.
You can use this idiom in a sentence like this: "The rank and file of the political party were unhappy with the leader's decision." This means that the ordinary members of the party were not happy with what the leader had decided.
• The rank and file soldiers followed their commander's orders without question.
• The CEO acknowledged the contributions of the rank and file staff in achieving the company's success.
• The political candidate promised to represent the interests of the rank and file citizens if elected.
• The union leaders promised to fight for the rank and file workers' rights.
• The manager addressed the concerns of the rank and file employees during the town hall meeting.
• The rank and file of the company gathered for their annual meeting.