¹mercenary

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noun mer·ce·nary \ˈmÉ™r-sÉ™-ËŒner-Ä“, -ne-rÄ“\

: a soldier who is paid by a foreign country to fight in its army : a soldier who will fight for any group or country that hires him

plural mer·ce·nar·ies

Full Definition of MERCENARY

:  one that serves merely for wages; especially :  a soldier hired into foreign service

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Examples of MERCENARY

1. an army of foreign mercenaries

Origin of MERCENARY

Middle English, from Latin mercenarius, irregular from merced-, merces wages — more at mercy

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

Rhymes with MERCENARY

actuary, adversary, airy-fairy, ancillary, antiquary, apiary, arbitrary, aviary, axillary, bacillary, beriberi, bestiary, biliary, black raspberry, Bloody Mary, boysenberry, breviary, budgetary, calamari, calamary, candleberry, Canterbury, capillary, carpellary, cassowary, catenary, cautionary, cavitary, cemetery, centenary, certiorari, checkerberry, chinaberry, cometary, commentary, commissary, condottiere, coralberry, corollary, coronary, culinary, customary, dictionary, dietary, dignitary, dromedary, dysentery, elderberry, emissary, estuary, farkleberry, February, formulary, fragmentary, fritillary, functionary, funerary, honorary, huckleberry, intermarry, janissary, January, lamasery, lapidary, lectionary, legendary, legionary, lingonberry, literary, loganberry, luminary, mammillary, mandatary, maxillary, medullary, miliary, military, millenary, milliary, millinery, missionary, momentary, monastery, mortuary, necessary, ordinary, ossuary, partridgeberry, pensionary, pigmentary, planetary, Pondicherry, prebendary, presbytery, pulmonary, quaternary, red mulberry, reliquary, rowanberry, salivary, salmonberry, salutary, sanctuary, sanguinary, sanitary, secondary, secretary, sedentary, seminary, silverberry, solitary, sour cherry, stationary, stationery, statuary, subcontrary, sublunary, sugarberry, sumptuary, syllabary, temporary, tertiary, thimbleberry, Tipperary, Tom and Jerry, topiary, tributary, tutelary, Typhoid Mary, unitary, urinary, vestiary, Virgin Mary, visionary, voluntary, vulnerary, Waterbury, whortleberry, winterberry

²mercenary

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adjective

: hired to fight

: caring only about making money

Full Definition of MERCENARY

1

:  serving merely for pay or sordid advantage :  venal; also :  greedy

2

:  hired for service in the army of a foreign country

— mer·ce·nar·i·ly \ËŒmÉ™r-sÉ™-ˈner-É™-lÄ“, -ˈne-rÉ™-\ adverb

— mer·ce·nar·i·ness \ˈmÉ™r-sÉ™-ËŒner-Ä“-nÉ™s, -ËŒne-rÄ“-\ noun

Examples of MERCENARY

1. His motives in choosing a career were purely mercenary.
2. <they were a mercenary couple, who defined themselves not by what they were but by what they owned>

First Known Use of MERCENARY

1532

Related to MERCENARY

Synonyms

acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, grabby, grasping, greedy, moneygrubbing, rapacious

Related Words

commercialistic, materialistic, philistine; desirous, eager, itchy, lickerish, miserly; hoggish, piggish, piggy, swinish; devouring, gluttonous, gobbling, insatiable, ravenous, unquenchable, voracious; egocentric, egoistic (also egoistical), egotistic (or egotistical), self-centered, self-seeking; discontent, discontented, malcontent, unsatisfied; begrudging, grudging, resentful

Near Antonyms

nonmaterialistic; altruistic, bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, greathearted, handsome, liberal, magnanimous, munificent, openhanded, openhearted, selfless, unselfish, unsparing; controlled, moderate, restrained, temperate; content, sated, satisfied

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical