mercenary

1 of 2

noun

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

mercenary

2 of 2

adjective

1

: serving merely for pay or sordid advantage : venal

also : greedy

… they feel that they have been unfairly portrayed as somehow dishonest or mercenary in a highly competitive business with paper-thin profit margins.

—Randy Kennedy

2

: hired for service in the army of a foreign country

mercenarily

ˌmər-sə-ˈner-ə-lē 

-ˈne-rə-

adverb

mercenariness

ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē-nəs 

-ˌne-rē-

noun

Synonyms of mercenary

Adjective

• greedy
• eager
• avaricious
• acquisitive

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

Noun

Malian troops and Russian mercenaries withdrew from the northern city of Kidal after the attacks, the rebels said Sunday. —Wilson McMakin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026

Reports indicate that Russian backed Africa Corps mercenaries are fighting alongside Malian forces in several locations, including the capital. —Jewel Bright, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026

Adjective

She isn’t burdened by the need to shed a darker, more mercenary child-star past. —Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2026

No investment, then mercenary mode kicks in for many pros. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Latin mercenarius, irregular from merced-, merces wages — more at mercy

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mercenary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids 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 adjective

1

: serving only for the pay or reward

mercenary armies

mercenary soldier

2

: greedy for money

mercenary business owners