as in greedy
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
they were a mercenary couple, who defined themselves not by what they were but by what they owned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mercenary
Russian mercenary forces backing military coup leaders in Africa have used Tartus as a critical supply point.
—
Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Dec. 2024
Having established himself as the ultimate cool, implacable bad guy in the Matrix movies, Hugo Weaving has brought an instant credibility to the role of Frank Harkness, whose mercenary operation at Les Arbres operates like its own cruel fiefdom in the bleakest town in France.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
Moscow provided air, weapon and artillery support to the regime, as well as mercenary fighters.
Iran, long an ally and sponsor of Assad and Syria as a key node in its Axis of Resistance, stepped up its military presence to protect its client and secure weapons flows and influence.
—Ian Pannell, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2024
Her motive in accepting the offer is not solely mercenary.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary 
Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Dec. 2024
Having established himself as the ultimate cool, implacable bad guy in the Matrix movies, Hugo Weaving has brought an instant credibility to the role of Frank Harkness, whose mercenary operation at Les Arbres operates like its own cruel fiefdom in the bleakest town in France.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
Moscow provided air, weapon and artillery support to the regime, as well as mercenary fighters.
Iran, long an ally and sponsor of Assad and Syria as a key node in its Axis of Resistance, stepped up its military presence to protect its client and secure weapons flows and influence.
—Ian Pannell, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2024
Her motive in accepting the offer is not solely mercenary.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenary
Adjective
-
Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.Dividend Channel, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
-
Season 1 framed the tournament as a straightforward allegory for the punishing trap of financial distress, rendering even the greediest characters as sympathetic to an extent.Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Ukraine launched a fresh operation in Russia's southern Kursk region, Moscow said on Sunday, after Ukrainian officials and military bloggers reported new attacks from Kyiv in a region where Moscow is eager to reassert its grip.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
-
Barca were dominant, gave no concessions to their lower-league hosts, were eager to attack, and pressed high after losing the ball.Laia Cervelló Herrero, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Ever since the United States liberated Kuwait from the avaricious clutches of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War of 1990-91, the Kuwaitis have supported U.S. priorities in the Middle East and elsewhere.Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2022
-
Stalin’s apprenticeship in high-stakes diplomacy had shown him to be cunning but also opportunistic, avaricious, obdurate.Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017
Adjective
-
The condition for the survival of an acquisitive society is twofold.Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011
-
The synergies that acquisitive CEOs routinely promise often fail to materialize, but in this instance there was never any realistic prospect for synergies.Martin Fridson, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near mercenary
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenary. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share