rank and file
Ordinary union workers
The rank and file are the ordinary members of an organization, as distinguished from its leaders.
The term comes from military formation—ranks are horizontal rows of soldiers, files are vertical columns.
A union's rank and file are its working members, not its officers: The rank-and-file voted to reject the contract.
As an adjective: rank-and-file workers, rank-and-file opposition.
Military personnel who fight
- troopsMilitary personnel collectively
- enlistedSigned up formally
- privatesLowest enlisted rank
- infantryGround combat troops
squaddies · conscripts · grunts · servicemembers · marines · riflemen · footsoldiers · regulars
Paid staff members
- workersPeople doing jobs
- staffOrganization's workers collectively
- laborersWorkers doing physical tasks
- wage earnersPaid workforce members
blue-collar · hourly workers · shop floor · tradespeople · working class · payroll · organized labor · collective bargaining
Non-elite members of society
- massesBulk or populace
- commonersOrdinary citizens, untitled
- everyday peopleAverage, unremarkable citizens
- general publicPeople as a whole
grassroots · populace · mainstream · plebeians · regular folks · working people · laypeople · commonfolk
Lowest position on hierarchy
- subordinatesThose ranked below
- underlingsLower-ranked employees
- junior staffLow-ranking employees
- base levelFundamental reference standard
entry-level · pecking order · chain of command · organizational chart · seniority · ladder · tiered · stratification
soldiers
Military personnel who fight
infantry · squaddies · conscripts · grunts · servicemembers · marines · riflemen · footsoldiers · regulars · draftees
employees
Paid staff members
- workersPeople doing jobs
- staffOrganization's workers collectively
- laborersWorkers doing physical tasks
wage earners · blue-collar · hourly workers · shop floor · tradespeople · working class · payroll · organized labor · collective bargaining · picket line
common people
Non-elite members of society
- massesBulk or populace
- commonersOrdinary citizens, untitled
- everyday peopleAverage, unremarkable citizens
general public · grassroots · populace · mainstream · plebeians · regular folks · working people · laypeople · commonfolk · hoi polloi
bottom rung
Lowest position on hierarchy
- subordinatesThose ranked below
- underlingsLower-ranked employees
- junior staffLow-ranking employees
base level · entry-level · pecking order · chain of command · organizational chart · seniority · ladder · tiered · stratification
- membershipmember, active member, joining, associate member, dues
- rankstier one, tier two, upper echelon, level one, top tier
- workersworkers, employee, employees, laborer, laborers
- laborlabor, labor union, work, labor force, laborers
- formationsline, circle, triangle, ring, spiral
- hierarchyauthority, command, tiered, reporting, ladder
rank and fileleadership
Ability to direct others
management · executives · top brass · higher-ups · bosses
rank and fileelite
Superior select group
VIPs · bigwigs · upper crust · luminaries · notables
rank and fileofficers
Those holding authority
commanding officers · top brass · generals · high command · officer corps
file, rank, profile, files, ranks, ranking, filing, ranked, portfolio