mercenary

/'mə:sinəri/
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mercenary

A mercenary soldier stands guard at a remote outpost.

Definition

  1. Adjective:

    • Primarily concerned with making money: Describes someone who is excessively focused on financial gain, often implying a lack of principles or higher motives.
    • Hired for service in a foreign army: Describes a soldier who fights for financial payment rather than out of loyalty to a country or cause.

  2. Noun:

    • A professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army: A person who fights for a country or group other than their own in exchange for money.
Usage Examples

  • Adjective:

    • His decision to support the policy seemed purely mercenary, driven by the promised financial rewards.
    • The regime was defended by mercenary troops from various countries.

  • Noun:

    • The warlord employed mercenaries to bolster his forces.
    • Historically, mercenaries have played a significant role in many European wars.
Advanced Usage

  • "mercenary motives/interests": Describes actions or decisions motivated solely by the desire for financial profit.

    • The merger was driven by mercenary interests, with little regard for the employees.

  • "mercenary army/force": Refers to a military unit composed of paid soldiers from foreign countries.

    • The rebellion was crushed by the king's mercenary army.
Variants and Related Words
  • Mercenariness (n, rare): The quality or state of being mercenary.
    • The mercenariness of his character made him untrustworthy.
Synonyms
  • Adjective (profit-oriented): Greedy, acquisitive, venal, materialistic.
  • Noun (hired soldier): Soldier of fortune, hired gun, freelance soldier.
Related Phrases
  • "a mercenary war": A conflict fought largely by paid foreign soldiers.
    • The conflict degenerated into a costly mercenary war.
Related Idioms
  • "To have a mercenary heart": To be characteristically motivated by money.
    • You can't trust him in negotiations; he has a mercenary heart.
mercenary

A mercenary soldier stands guard at a remote outpost.

Adjective
  1. profit oriented
    • a commercial book
    • preached a mercantile and militant patriotism- John Buchan
    • a mercenary enterprise
    • a moneymaking business
  2. serving for wages in a foreign army
    • mercenary killers
  3. marked by materialism
Noun
  1. a person hired to fight for another country than their own

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