MERCENARY Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

mercenary

adjective

Definition of mercenary

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

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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 mercenary One event occurred in 2015 when the mercenary hacker collective Hacking Team used one against a target it had been contracted to infect. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 However, the calculation changes if Apple sends you a mercenary spyware notification. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Lee joins after inking a deal to star in Tygo, a Korean-language entry in the franchise centered on his former child soldier turned mercenary, which is in post-production. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026 Appearing as push notifications, emails and messages within the settings app, Apple threat notifications are sent to users who may be targeted by mercenary spyware attacks. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mercenary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenary

Adjective

John Wayne and Gary Cooper, like Ken-san, often played anachronistic loners from a disappearing Arcadia that was being destroyed by hard-nosed modernizers—greedy bankers, railway owners, big-city politicians.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Katz said the rapid and steep rate movements give investors a chance to buy from the fearful and sell to the greedy.

— Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of greedy

Adjective

Played by a Colman Domingo who is done up to look the most wax figurine of them all in a shellacking of makeup, prosthetics, and colored contacts, Joe is always either giving an avaricious open-mouthed leer or a cold-eyed glare.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
There’s a quasi-heist theme to The Christophers, which revolves around an acclaimed artist (McKellen), who has long since stopped making new work, and his avaricious children (Gunning and Corden) who try to enlist Coel to complete some of their dad’s unfinished paintings.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026

Definition of avaricious

Adjective

Tech companies are eager for vast tracts to build data centers that can be as large as 70 football fields, and Townsite could set a precedent for similar projects on federal property with more than a dozen others in the planning stages.

— Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
The shores of Clearwater Beach are packed block-to-block with resorts booked up by eager beachgoers, but the JW Marriott might just be the one to convince you to hang around a little bit longer before launching into Clearwater’s ombré coast.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

But for an acquisitive current occupant of the White House, the oldest continuously active musical organization hasn’t seemed enough.

— Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
All this acquisitive activity has turned the majority of physicians into employees rather than independent operators.

— Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

Definition of acquisitive

Browse Nearby Words

mercenariness

mercenary

merchandise

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“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenary. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of mercenary

adjective

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