- [uncountable, countable] the position, especially a high position, that somebody has in a particular organization, society, etc.
- She was not used to mixing with people of high social rank.
- He rose through the ranks to become managing director.
- Within months she was elevated to ministerial rank.
- in rank Promotion will mean that I’m immediately above him in rank.
- rank of something Barons are the lowest rank of the nobility.
Extra ExamplesTopics People in societyb2- There are few women in the highest ranks of the organization.
- a government minister of Cabinet rank
- all ranks in society
- the lowest ranks of the aristocracy
- People of every rank seemed to agree on this.
- She rose from the middle ranks of the civil service.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- senior
- superior
- …
- achieve
- attain
- be promoted to
- …
- above a/the rank
- below a/the rank
- in rank
- …
- of high, low, etc. rank
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- [countable, uncountable] the position that somebody has in the army, navy, police, etc.
- rank of something He was soon promoted to the rank of captain.
- He rose steadily through the ranks and retired as a lieutenant colonel.
- officers of junior/senior rank
- officers and other ranks (= people who are not officers)
- The colonel was stripped of his rank (= was given a lower position, especially as a punishment).
- in rank a military commander similar in rank to a modern general
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflictb2- He came up through the ranks to become a general.
- She held officer rank in the air force for many years.
- He never rose above the rank of lieutenant.
- She joined the navy and held the rank of captain.
- He was assigned the rank of Commander.
- police officers below the rank of sergeant
- I gave them only my name, rank and serial number.
- Officers of junior rank had separate accommodation.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- senior
- superior
- …
- achieve
- attain
- be promoted to
- …
- above a/the rank
- below a/the rank
- in rank
- …
- of high, low, etc. rank
- the ranks[plural] the position of ordinary soldiers rather than officers; the army
- He served in the ranks for most of the war.
- He rose from the ranks (= from being an ordinary soldier) to become a warrant officer.
- a campaign to attract more women into the military ranks
Extra Examples- They had served in the ranks of the Sultan's army.
- Death and disease were thinning their ranks.
- [singular] the degree to which somebody/something is of high quality
- a painter of the first rank
- Britain is no longer in the front rank of world powers.
- The findings are arranged in rank order according to performance.
- the ranks[plural] the members of a particular group or organization
- We have a number of international players in our ranks.
- At 50, he was forced to join the ranks of the unemployed.
- There were serious divisions within the party's own ranks.
Extra Examples- A CIA operative had infiltrated their ranks.
- Discontent over pay was growing in the ranks of the medical profession.
- He spent two years on the college golf team before joining the professional ranks.
- The group has little influence over those outside its own ranks.
- These products appeal to the growing ranks of middle-class consumers.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- growing
- swelling
- amateur
- …
- enter
- fill
- join
- …
- among the ranks of
- within the ranks of
- beyond the ranks
- …
- the rank and file
- [countable] a line or row of soldiers, police, etc. standing next to each other
- They watched as ranks of marching infantry passed the window.
- They fired at random into the enemy ranks.
Extra Examples- The president moved slowly along the ranks of men.
- The soldiers marched in three ranks of ten.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- front
- rear
- massed
- …
- along a/the rank
- in a/the rank
- break ranks
- close ranks
- rank upon rank (of something)
- …
- [countable] a line or row of people or things
- massed ranks of spectators
- The trees grew in serried ranks (= very closely together).
Extra Examples- Rank upon rank of caravans filled the field.
- There were ranks of trestle tables piled high with food.
- He was standing in the second rank.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- front
- rear
- massed
- …
- along a/the rank
- in a/the rank
- break ranks
- close ranks
- rank upon rank (of something)
- …
- [countable] (statistics) a number that gives the position of a member of a set of numbers
position in organization/army, etc.
quality
members of group
line/row
in statistics
Word Originnoun Middle English (in the sense ‘row of things’): from Old French ranc, of Germanic origin; related to ring
Idioms
See rank in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee rank in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbreak ranks
- (of soldiers, police, etc.) to fail to remain in line
- The police broke ranks and started hitting people with their batons.
- (of the members of a group) to refuse to support the group or the organization of which they are members
- Large numbers of MPs felt compelled to break ranks over the issue.
- He broke ranks with his fellow Republicans and opposed the war.
close ranks
- if a group of people close ranks, they work closely together to defend themselves, especially when they are being criticized
- It's not unusual for the police to close ranks when one of their officers is being investigated.
- if soldiers close ranks, they move closer together in order to defend themselves
pull rank (on somebody)
- to make use of your place or status in society or at work to make somebody do what you want
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rank