mer·ce·nary
ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē 
-ne-rē
plural mercenaries
: one that serves merely for wages
especially
: a soldier hired into foreign service
mercenaries who guaranteed the success of the rebellion —
B. F. Reilly
B. F. Reilly 2
: hired for service in the army of a foreign country
Synonyms
Examples of mercenary in a Sentence
Noun
an army of foreign mercenaries
Adjective
His motives in choosing a career were purely mercenary.
they were a mercenary couple, who defined themselves not by what they were but by what they owned
Recent Examples on the Web
K.j. Yossman, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024
Russia backed Assad and intervened directly in support of his regime in 2015, launching an air campaign and sending mercenaries and other forces to prop up the Syrian dictator.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
My wife, who is not an international money launderer or mercenary warlord, was turned down for a savings account with a UK bank last year because her driving license had expired.
—David G.w. Birch, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary 
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Noun
The series, in which Redmayne plays mysterious mercenary the Jackal, was renewed last month.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024
Russia backed Assad and intervened directly in support of his regime in 2015, launching an air campaign and sending mercenaries and other forces to prop up the Syrian dictator.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Leaving these questions unasked opens the door to a mercenary, amoral public life.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
My wife, who is not an international money launderer or mercenary warlord, was turned down for a savings account with a UK bank last year because her driving license had expired.
—David G.w. Birch, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary
Dictionary Entries Near mercenary
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercenary. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mercenary
1 of 2 noun
mer·ce·nary
ˈmərs-ᵊn-ˌer-ē
plural mercenaries
: one that serves only for wages
especially
: a soldier hired by a foreign country to fight in its army
mercenary
2 of 2 adjective1
: serving only for the pay or reward
mercenary armies
mercenary soldier
2
: greedy for money
mercenary business owners
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