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
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Even if the war in Ukraine ends soon, as President Trump has promised, Moscow’s mercenaries will still be at work dividing their African cake.
—Nicolas Niarchos, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
And how to be optimally developmental and transactional in an increasingly mercenary environment.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
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Noun
The Kremlin maintains that mercenaries are subject to criminal prosecution and not entitled to prisoner-of-war protections under international law.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Even if the war in Ukraine ends soon, as President Trump has promised, Moscow’s mercenaries will still be at work dividing their African cake.
—Nicolas Niarchos, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Adjective
Top Gun is streaming on Paramount+ and Prime Video, while Top Gun: Maverick is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Willow’ (1988)
Val Kilmer stars as the mercenary Madmartigan opposite his then-real-life wife, Joanne Whalley as Sorsha, the daughter of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) in Willow.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
And how to be optimally developmental and transactional in an increasingly mercenary environment.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 13 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 22 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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