RANK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does rank mean? 

• RANK (noun)
  The noun RANK has 5 senses:

1. a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

2. relative status

3. the ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army)

4. position in a social hierarchy

5. the body of members of an organization or group

  Familiarity information: RANK used as a noun is common.

• RANK (adjective)
  The adjective RANK has 5 senses:

1. very fertile; producing profuse growth

2. very offensive in smell or taste

3. conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible

4. complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers

5. growing profusely

  Familiarity information: RANK used as an adjective is common.

• RANK (verb)
  The verb RANK has 3 senses:

1. take or have a position relative to others

2. assign a rank or rating to

3. take precedence or surpass others in rank

  Familiarity information: RANK used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RANK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

the entrance was guarded by ranks of policemen

Hypernyms ("rank" is a kind of...):

line (a formation of people or things one beside another)

Meronyms (members of "rank"):

end man (a man at one end of a row of people)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Relative status

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

his salary was determined by his rank and seniority

Hypernyms ("rank" is a kind of...):

position; status (the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rank"):

fiftieth (position 50 in a countable series of things)

eightieth (position 80 in a countable series of things)

sixtieth (position 60 in a countable series of things)

seventieth (position 70 in a countable series of things)

ninetieth (position 90 in a countable series of things)

hundredth (position 100 in a countable series of things)

thousandth (position 1,000 in a countable series of things)

millionth (position 1,000,000 in a countable series of things)

billionth (position 1,000,000,000 in a countable series of things)

last (the last or lowest in an ordering or series)

grade; level; tier (a relative position or degree of value in a graded group)

gradation; step (relative position in a graded series)

second class (not the highest rank in a classification)

military rank; military rating; paygrade; rating (rank in a military organization)

archidiaconate (office or position of an archdeacon)

baronetcy; barony (the rank or dignity or position of a baronet or baroness)

dukedom (the dignity or rank or position of a duke)

earldom (the dignity or rank or position of an earl or countess)

kingship (the dignity or rank or position of a king)

princedom (the dignity or rank or position of a prince)

viscountcy; viscounty (the dignity or rank or position of a viscount or viscountess)

thirtieth (position 30 in a countable series of things)

first; number one (the first or highest in an ordering or series)

second (following the first in an ordering or series)

third (following the second position in an ordering or series)

fourth (following the third position; number four in a countable series)

fifth (position five in a countable series of things)

sixth (position six in a countable series of things)

seventh (position seven in a countable series of things)

eighth (position eight in a countable series of things)

ninth (position nine in a countable series of things)

tenth (position ten in a countable series of things)

twelfth (position 12 in a countable series of things)

thirteenth (position 13 in a countable series of things)

fourteenth (position 14 in a countable series of things)

fifteenth (position 15 in a countable series of things)

sixteenth (position 16 in a countable series of things)

seventeenth (position 17 in a countable series of things)

eighteenth (position 18 in a countable series of things)

nineteenth (position 19 in a countable series of things)

twentieth (position 20 in a countable series of things)

fortieth (position 40 in a countable series of things)

eleventh (position 11 in a countable series of things)

Derivation:

rank (assign a rank or rating to)

rank (take or have a position relative to others)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

rank; rank and file

Context example:

he rose from the ranks to become a colonel

Hypernyms ("rank" is a kind of...):

force; personnel (group of people willing to obey orders)

Meronyms (members of "rank"):

enlisted man (a male enlisted person in the armed forces)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Position in a social hierarchy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

rank; social rank; social station; social status

Context example:

the British are more aware of social status than Americans are

Hypernyms ("rank" is a kind of...):

position; status (the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rank"):

place; station (proper or designated social situation)

quality (high social status)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The body of members of an organization or group

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

membership; rank

Context example:

he joined the ranks of the unemployed

Hypernyms ("rank" is a kind of...):

body (a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity)

Holonyms ("rank" is a member of...):

organisation; organization (a group of people who work together)

• RANK (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Very fertile; producing profuse growth

Context example:

rank earth

Similar:

fertile (capable of reproducing)

Derivation:

rankness (the property of producing abundantly and sustaining vigorous and luxuriant growth)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Very offensive in smell or taste

Context example:

a rank cigar

Similar:

offensive (unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses)

Derivation:

rankness (the attribute of having a strong offensive smell)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible

Synonyms:

crying; egregious; flagrant; glaring; gross; rank

Context example:

rank treachery

Similar:

conspicuous (obvious to the eye or mind)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers

Synonyms:

absolute; downright; out-and-out; rank; right-down; sheer

Context example:

sheer stupidity

Similar:

complete (having every necessary or normal part or component or step)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Growing profusely

Context example:

rank jungle vegetation

Similar:

abundant (present in great quantity)

Derivation:

rankness (the property of producing abundantly and sustaining vigorous and luxuriant growth)

• RANK (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Take or have a position relative to others

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

This painting ranks among the best in the Western World

Hypernyms (to "rank" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rank"):

come in; come out; place (take a place in a competition; often followed by an ordinal)

come (have a certain priority)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

rank (relative status)

ranker (an enlisted soldier who serves in the ranks of the armed forces)

ranker (a commissioned officer who has been promoted from enlisted status)

ranking (position on a scale in relation to others in status or rank or achievement)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Assign a rank or rating to

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

grade; order; place; range; rank; rate

Context example:

The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide

Hypernyms (to "rank" is one way to...):

evaluate; judge; pass judgment (form a critical opinion of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rank"):

superordinate (place in a superior order or rank)

upgrade (rate higher; raise in value or esteem)

downgrade (rate lower; lower in value or esteem)

sequence (arrange in a sequence)

prioritise; prioritize (assign a priority to)

subordinate (rank or order as less important or consider of less value)

reorder (assign a new order to)

seed (distribute (players or teams) so that outstanding teams or players will not meet in the early rounds)

shortlist (put someone or something on a short list)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

rank (relative status)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Take precedence or surpass others in rank

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

outrank; rank

Hypernyms (to "rank" is one way to...):

excel; stand out; surpass (distinguish oneself)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

A formal ranking system of the strength of evidence linked to a reported result.

(Level of Evidence, NCI Thesaurus)

"Why, it would be rank ridiculousness for me to take that dog along," he broke out after another pause.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

A taxonomic category of related organisms ranking below a suborder and above a family.

(Infraorder, NCI Thesaurus)

A taxonomic category of related organisms ranking below a subclass and above an order.

(Infraclass, NCI Thesaurus)

A ranking system used to describe the strength of the results measured in a clinical trial or research study.

(Levels of evidence, NCI Dictionary)

Used to specify that the taxonomy rank is unknown.

(No Rank, NCI Thesaurus)

Delightful, charming, superior, first circles, spheres, lines, ranks, every thing—and Mrs. Elton was wild to have the offer closed with immediately.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

A taxonomic category ranking below a family (or Subfamily) and above a species and generally consisting of a group of species exhibiting similar characteristics.

(Genus, NCI Thesaurus)

The priorityNumber may be used to rank these investigations.

(Document Version Relationship Priority Number, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

I observed the young animal’s flesh to smell very rank, and the stink was somewhat between a weasel and a fox, but much more disagreeable.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)