mer·ce·nary
ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē 
-ne-rē
plural mercenaries
: one that serves merely for wages
especially
: a soldier hired into foreign service
mercenaries who guaranteed the success of the rebellion —
B. F. Reilly
B. F. Reilly 2
: hired for service in the army of a foreign country
Examples of mercenary in a Sentence
Noun
an army of foreign mercenaries
Adjective
His motives in choosing a career were purely mercenary.
they were a mercenary couple, who defined themselves not by what they were but by what they owned
Recent Examples on the Web
Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Hubbard, 72, was sentenced to six years and 10 months in Russian prison last year for allegedly fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
—Jennifer Hansler, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
The prominent credit-card swiper offers 15 minutes for the high price of $15, and the show follows up on the Gemstones’ mercenary shamelessness later when someone working the telethon phone bank asks for a donor’s routing number.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
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Noun
Tsang said that the Chinese citizens serving in the Russian forces were mercenaries and not regular People's Liberation Army soldiers, so their presence is not evidence of direct PLA intervention.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Hubbard, 72, was sentenced to six years and 10 months in Russian prison last year for allegedly fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
—Jennifer Hansler, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
And how to be optimally developmental and transactional in an increasingly mercenary environment.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
The prominent credit-card swiper offers 15 minutes for the high price of $15, and the show follows up on the Gemstones’ mercenary shamelessness later when someone working the telethon phone bank asks for a donor’s routing number.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercenary. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mercenary
1 of 2 noun
mer·ce·nary
ˈmərs-ᵊn-ˌer-ē
plural mercenaries
: one that serves only for wages
especially
: a soldier hired by a foreign country to fight in its army
mercenary
2 of 2 adjective1
: serving only for the pay or reward
mercenary armies
mercenary soldier
2
: greedy for money
mercenary business owners
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