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 of legion

Noun

• army

Adjective

• many
• numerous
• multiple

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

Hollywood Beach Hollywood, Florida A perennial favorite for family beach vacations in Florida, Clearwater Beach draws legions of visitors each year to its sugary white sand and clear shallow waters. —Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026

This poses threat to a legion of auxiliary service providers on Wall Street like transfer agents and settlement houses that are essential to the current system of stock-trading. —Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026

Advertisement For all her legion of faults, Hasina kept a lid on extremism and had even recognized a transgender-protection law. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026

But more recently — as D-FW has enjoyed a broad economic boom that’s transformed areas like Uptown and Frisco and brought hundreds of companies and legions of new residents to the region — it’s also emerged as an increasingly popular hotspot for the rich. —Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for legion

• region
• collegian
• harijan
• norwegian
• subregion

Kids Definition

legion

noun

le·​gion

ˈlē-jən

1

: the chief unit of the Roman army consisting of 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry

2

: army sense 1a

3

: a very large number : multitude