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

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 team’s Hollywood ties are legion, from Jack Nicholson on the sidelines to Jerry Buss courting celebrities with the Forum Club. —Tom Tapp, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025

Only Martin — cast as a Dickensian wretch by Bonitzer’s legion of myopic elites, but always quietly acting against type — reserves the right to determine his own worth. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025

And as the team finds its footing on the field this season, Pudge has found legions of fans, both in and outside of the locker room. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025

Anne Hathaway joined the legions of celebrity guests who have frequented Sabrina Carpenter's tour in recent months. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025

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