legion

1 of 2

noun

le·​gion ˈlē-jən 

1

: the principal unit of the Roman army comprising 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry

Caesar and his legions defeated the Gauls.

2

: a large military force

especially : army sense 1a

the French Foreign Legion

3

: a very large number : multitude

won him … a legion of devoted followers

—Irving Kolodin

4

: a national association of ex-servicemen

the American Legion

legion

2 of 2

adjective

: many, numerous

the problems are legion

Synonyms

Noun

• army
• array
• battalion
• host

Examples of legion in a Sentence

Noun

Legions of people came to see him perform.

joined the French Foreign Legion

Adjective

the obstacles that the programmers had to overcome have been legion

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Comerica Park includes a legion of Hall of Famers located along the left center field wall. —Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 29 Oct. 2024

The battle alarmed Southwest’s loyal flyers, who are legion. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2024

Barrientos is one of many high-profile figures to face such allegations this year, shocking legions of fans yet again. —Susan Akyeampong, refinery29.com, 17 Oct. 2024

Despite having a legion of new enthusiasts, the sauna's history can be traced back thousands of years. —Irenie Forshaw, theweek, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin legion-, legio, from legere to gather — more at legend

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1687, in the meaning defined above