mercenary

CEFRC1

/ˈmɜː.sə.nə.ɹi/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

01
noun
A soldier paid to fight for a foreign country or group.
02
adjective
Mainly interested in money or personal gain.

Examples

As a mercenary, did you participate in torture sessions?
So you're a mercenary, right?

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses: 5
Parts of speech: 2
Citations: 5
Synonyms: 5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

A person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose primary motivation is private gain.
One hired to engage in a figurative battle, as a corporate takeover, a lawsuit, or a political campaign.
One motivated by gain, especially monetary.

More examples

In context

He is very mercenary.
J. Argyrofylus, a mercenary Greek, who came to teach school in Italy, after the sacking of Constantinople by the Turks, used to maintain that Cicero understood neither Philosophy nor Greek
Success is never so interesting as struggle—not even to the successful, not even to the most mercenary forms of ambition.

Quick test

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Question 1 · Quick check

The wealthy general hired a blank to fight in the war for money.

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Citations

The word in print, with each source given in full.

J. Argyrofylus, a mercenary Greek, who came to teach school in Italy, after the sacking of Constantinople by the Turks, used to maintain that Cicero understood neither Philosophy nor Greek
1753, Alexander Pope, edited by William Warburton, The Works of Alexander Pope, Esq: Satires, &c, page 22
He exhorts the emperor to revive the courage of his subjects by the example of manly virtue; to banish luxury from the court and from the camp; to substitute in the place of the Barbarian mercenaries, an army of men interested in the defence of their laws and of their property
1781, Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume 3
If a mercenary died, that was one fewer man to pay. Mercenaries were an efficient way to run a military campaign especially in view of the employer's ability to hire and fire when and if the situation demanded
2004, Matthew Trundle, Greek Mercenaries: From the Late Archaic Period to Alexander
The combat fatigues worn by the vehicle personnel did not appear to be standard military issue, more similar to what you would expect mercenaries to wear. Mercenaries, loyal to nothing except themselves and their off-shore bank accounts.
2005, Karl Arthur, The Calling, page 62
Success is never so interesting as struggle—not even to the successful, not even to the most mercenary forms of ambition.
1932 July 16 (date written), Willa Cather, “Preface”, in The Song of the Lark, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company […], published February 1941, →OCLC, page v

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Origin

noun

From Middle English mercenarye (“someone paid to work, hireling”), from Latin mercēnārius (“hired for money”), from mercēs (“reward, wages, price”).

Deep Dive

noun

More examples

Related

Quick test

The wealthy general hired a blank— to fight in the war for money.

Nearby

Origin

noun

The wealthy general hired a blank to fight in the war for money.