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

Among her legion of fans are Stephen Colbert, Steve Buscemi, and Helena Bonham Carter who read from her poems in the documentary. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026

And the legions of online followers need a better grasp of the risks involved. —Maximilian Brichta, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026

Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Chris Stapleton, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars were among a legion of eclectic artists who paid heartfelt homage to the boundless visionary, multi-Grammy and Oscar winner. —Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 21 Apr. 2026

But outside the major pop stars and Grammy favorites, there was a legion of potential breakout stars jockeying for audience attention and winning it. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Apr. 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