as in greed
an intense selfish desire for wealth or possessions
she possesses the unmistakable mercenariness of a confirmed gold digger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in greedy
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
they were a mercenary couple, who defined themselves not by what they were but by what they owned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mercenariness
Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
Vladimir Putin has relied on mercenary and convict soldiers, combined with lavish bonuses for poor Russians who volunteer to try their luck against killer Ukrainian robots on the steppe.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2025
Since invading Ukraine, Putin has regularly invoked old arguments about Russia’s imperial role in the world, yet his references amount to a mercenary patchwork.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
The Serpent Society, a brutal mercenary group led by Giancarlo Esposito's Sidewinder, already weaponized the metal.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenariness
Adjective
Neither Evil Steve Jobs nor his mercenary lackey are given much of a motor and oppressive presence.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
Vladimir Putin has relied on mercenary and convict soldiers, combined with lavish bonuses for poor Russians who volunteer to try their luck against killer Ukrainian robots on the steppe.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2025
Since invading Ukraine, Putin has regularly invoked old arguments about Russia’s imperial role in the world, yet his references amount to a mercenary patchwork.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
The Serpent Society, a brutal mercenary group led by Giancarlo Esposito's Sidewinder, already weaponized the metal.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenariness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenariness
Noun
-
Prosecutors argued the brothers acted out of greed, resorting to murder to get their multimillion-dollar inheritances before being cut out of their parents’ will.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Prosecutors said the killings were motivated by greed, pointing to a multimillion-dollar inheritance.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Bad guys are selfish, greedy, and prone to speeches.—
John DeVore,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Robert Redford delivers folksy wisdom as a local eccentric who once had his own dragon encounter, and even Karl Urban’s greedy logger is more of a nuisance than an outright villain.—
Josh Bell,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Taylor, a charming extrovert who can make anyone feel comfortable, is eager to help Avery find new friends and learn to flirt with women.—
Diya Chacko,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Confidence in core institutions is badly shaken, and many Americans are eager for leaders who can restore stability and uphold fundamental rights.—
Marc Lester,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The comedy-drama follows a Gen Z content creator who returns to her ancestral home seeking viral material, only to encounter her deceased brother’s ghost while dealing with avaricious relatives.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2025
-
This nation state, my home, is built on a quagmire of lies sold to the young as truths; sold to the insecure as truths; sold by the avaricious, the power-hungry, the conceited, the overwhelmingly white and male.—
Christine Winter,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Thanks to Jenner’s hundreds of millions of followers on Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media, Jenner had easy and essentially costless access to an acquisitive demographic.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Like other acquisitive companies, the integration of technology was sub-optimal.—
Peter High,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mercenariness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenariness. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share