rank

Meanings

1. A position or level in a system of grades, especially in the armed forces or in society.
2. A row or line of people or things arranged in order.
3. The ordinary members of a group, usually in the plural (the ranks).

Example sentences

• "He rose to the rank of colonel before he retired."

  Level B1, Meaning 1

• "A lieutenant has a lower rank than a captain."

  Level A2, Meaning 1

• "The soldiers stood in neat ranks on the field."

  Level B1, Meaning 2

• "She worked her way up through the ranks of the company."

  Level B2, Meaning 3

• "People of high rank sat at the front of the hall."

  Level B1, Meaning 1

Synonyms and antonyms

Look-alikes and common mistakes

• row : A row is any line of things. A rank is a row of people or things in an organized formation, or a level in a system.
• status : Status is overall social standing. Rank is a formal level in a set order.
• grade : A grade is a level in school, work or pay. Rank is a position in a hierarchy such as the military.

Word family and forms

Forms: ranks, ranked, ranking

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "rank".

• high rank
• military rank
• the rank of captain
• rise through the ranks
• rank and file
• break ranks
• pull rank
• close ranks

Idioms and phrases

pull rank

To use your higher position to get your way.

"She pulled rank and took the best desk."

break ranks

To stop agreeing with your group and act on your own.

"Three members broke ranks and voted against the plan."

close ranks

To come together to defend one another.

"The team closed ranks when the reporters asked questions."

Origin

The noun rank comes from Old French ranc, which meant a row or line, and that goes back to a Germanic word related to ring. English has used it since the 1500s. The adjective rank, meaning strong or foul smelling, is a different word that comes from Old English ranc, meaning bold or proud.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

Usage notes

Also works as a verb meaning to give something a position on a scale, as in "the film ranks among his best."

How to remember it

A rank is a step on a ladder. Soldiers stand in a rank, and a person climbs through the ranks one step at a time.

Test yourself

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