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

Judy cracks open the door to Cabin Twelve, which prompts a legion of cobwebs to expand and then collapse in her face. —Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025

These were two of the biggest questions series creators Matt and Ross Duffer hoped to answer by presenting their legions of fans around the world with a proper conclusion to the story that began in 2016. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025

Freddie Mercury is the latest artist to join the legion of British musicians to be honored with a commemorative coin from the Royal Mint. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025

The stories of high and consuming waters were, however, legion. —Literary Hub, 18 Nov. 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