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

The field is home to the high school, legion and town ball teams in Atwater. — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 2 July 2026

Beyond staff members, there are legions of volunteers who make the Karlovy Vary magic happen. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026

Colombia held Ronaldo in check all night Saturday, surely disappointing his legion of fans. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026

Slowly but surely, legions of tennis players are becoming convinced, some adding padel to their weekly routine, and some swapping out tennis altogether. — Mark Rice-Oxley, Christian Science Monitor, 29 June 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
• 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