1
a
: relative standing or position
b
: a degree or position of dignity, eminence, or excellence : distinction
soon took rank as a leading attorney—
J. D. Hicks
J. D. Hicks
c
: high social position
the privileges of rank
d
: a grade of official standing in a hierarchy
2
: an aggregate of individuals classed together
—usually used in plural
3
b
: a row of people
c(1)
: a line of soldiers ranged side by side in close order
(2)
(3)
ranks plural
: the body of enlisted personnel
d
: any of the rows of squares that extend across a chessboard perpendicular to the files
e
British
: stand sense 6
4
: an orderly arrangement : formation
5
: the order according to some statistical characteristic (such as the score on a test)
6
: any of a series of classes of coal based on increasing alteration of the parent vegetable matter, increasing carbon content, and increasing fuel value
7
: the number of linearly independent rows or columns in a matrix
ranked; ranking; ranks
1
: to determine the relative position of : rate
a highly ranked prospect
2
: to arrange in lines or in a regular formation
3
: to take precedence of
1
: to take or have a position in relation to others
ranks first in her class
2
: to form or move in ranks
1
: offensive in odor or flavor
especially
: rancid
2
a
: shockingly conspicuous
must lecture him on his rank disloyalty—David Walden
David Walden
b
: outright
—used as an intensive
rank beginners
3
: luxuriantly or excessively vigorous in growth
4
: offensively gross or coarse : foul
6
: high in amount or degree : fraught
8
obsolete
: grown too large
rankly
adverb
rankness
noun
Examples of rank in a Sentence
Noun
people of high rank and profession
She's not concerned about rank or wealth.
officers with the rank of captain
He rose to the rank of partner in the law firm.
He longed to join the upper social ranks.
military ranks such as private, corporal, and sergeant
He moved up through the ranks to become vice president of the company.
The organization's ranks have doubled in the past two years.
The flu swept through the ranks, infecting almost every soldier.
Several men were selected from the ranks.
Verb
A magazine recently ranked the school as one of the best in the country.
The city currently ranks as the world's largest.
Students who rank in the top third of their class have a better chance of being accepted to the college of their choice.
Adjective
You can't expect a rank beginner like her to know all the rules of the game.
covered with trumpet vines so rank you couldn't see the trellis beneath them
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Shank, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Two senators have broken ranks and voted with Republicans.
—Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
Adam Gale, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
Francesca Bellettini, chief executive officer of Gucci, is reinforcing and streamlining top management ranks as the Italian fashion house gears up for a renaissance under new creative director Demna, WWD has learned.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
There’s rank frustration on the part of lower court judges.
—John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rank
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.
Noun
And with more mobilizations planned for this fall, the United States is joining the ranks of social movements globally, which are witnessing an increase in activity this year.
—Michael Shank, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Two senators have broken ranks and voted with Republicans.
—Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
Startups may cast incumbents as hapless Goliaths, but in ranking Europe’s biggest companies, David is nowhere to be seen.
—Adam Gale, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
Francesca Bellettini, chief executive officer of Gucci, is reinforcing and streamlining top management ranks as the Italian fashion house gears up for a renaissance under new creative director Demna, WWD has learned.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The Buccaneers also didn’t have Bucky Irving this week, yet still rank 10th in points per drive and just scored 38 on the Seattle Seahawks, who haven’t given up more than 20 in the first four games of the season.
—Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
There’s rank frustration on the part of lower court judges.
—John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rank
Cite this Entry
“Rank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rank. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rank
1 of 3 adjective1
: strong and active in growth
rank weeds
2
: offensively gross or vulgar : foul
rank language
3
a
: very noticeable
rank dishonesty
b
: outright entry 2 sense 1
rank beginners
4
: offensive in odor or flavor
rankly
adverb
rankness
noun
rank
2 of 3 noun2
a
: a line of soldiers standing side by side
b
: the body of enlisted persons in an army
rose from the ranks
3
: a group of individuals classed together
—usually used in plural
in the ranks of the unemployed
4
: position within a group
a poet of high rank
5
: official grade or position
the rank of general
6
: high social position
a person of rank
rank
3 of 3 verb1
: to arrange in lines or in a formation
2
: to determine the position of in relation to others : rate
a highly ranked player
3
: to come before in rank
a captain ranks a lieutenant
4
: to take or have a certain position in a group
ranks third in the class
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share