ranks
n. C / Un. the people who belong to a specific group or organization, especially the military. You use this word when talking about the members of a large group as a whole.
n. the members of a specific group, profession, or organization, viewed collectively. Often used in the plural to describe the body of personnel in a military force or a political movement.
He rose through the ranks to become the company director.
Discontent among the ranks grew as the management continued to ignore the workers' requests for better safety equipment.
The candidate's controversial statements caused a visible split within the party ranks, leading several senior members to publicly distance themselves from the official platform.
Usually plural when referring to the members of a group; often used with the preposition 'of' or 'within'.