lower rank
1
3.5
- noun
:
rango inferior
- He often found it difficult to gain respect from those in lower rank positions.
He quit and he retired at a lower rank.
- He quit and he retired at a lower rank.
Examples
-
Some were of the lowest rank of all landless people and sometimes criminals.
-
Perhaps in some cases on a level which would again bring them into the lower ranks of the Gentry.
-
Some writers argued that friends of lower rank would ruin one's reputation; others that they would always flatter.
Academic text (1996) -
I was one of the few who retained a lower rank rather than letting the promises of glory and power seduce me.
Fiction book (2000) -
Although a five-member council was elected at the end of the meeting, differences on army issues could easily be detected among deputies, especially between high- and lower-ranking officers.
Academic text (1992) -
That is, juveniles are initially just as likely to attack the cubs of females of higher rank as they are to attack cubs of females of lower rank.
Academic text (1998) -
Both of the canton chiefs most involved in the kussanga trials, Paul Djiboudji Sambou and Bakuwal, were men of relatively low rank but spoke French.
Academic text (2004) -
Many employees feel neglected when they have a lower rank in the company hierarchy.
-
In the military, soldiers of lower rank must follow the orders of their superiors without question.
Synonyms
19
6.5
A person who works under another person in a job
17
5.1
A state of being lower than others in ability, status or value
4
7.0
Being in a lower position under someone else's control
1
3.7
A position lower than others in work or society
1
3.8
A category below the highest level in rank or quality
1
3.9
A position that people see as less important or powerful than others
1
3.8
A person's position in society based on wealth, family, or job
1
6.6
A person's place in a community based on wealth or rank
1
5.8
A position with little power or respect compared to others
1
6.7
Being humble and not thinking you are better than others
A condition when someone has a lower rank than others in a company or school
Being less important or having less power than others
A person of lower rank who serves others
Antonyms
How Important
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a position inferior in hierarchy' is directly and compositionally derived from 'lower' (comparative of 'low', meaning less high or inferior) modifying 'rank' (level in an organization). This adjective+noun composition follows a regular, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun lower rank may come from the image of people standing in rows, where someone in a lower rank stands behind the leaders. So, the phrase means 'a position with less power or importance'.