Mercenary

Quick meaning: Mercenary is a noun meaning (figuratively) One hired to engage in a figurative battle, as a corporate takeover, a lawsuit, or a political campaign.

Meaning

(figuratively) One hired to engage in a figurative battle, as a corporate takeover, a lawsuit, or a political campaign.

More Meanings

1. Motivated by personal gain.
2. 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.
3. (archaic) One motivated by gain, especially monetary.

Example Sentences

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

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

In the higher ranks of life especially, it is, unhappily, a very common practice to commit to hired mercenaries, that important duty which nature at once commands and enables the mother to perform; that of suckling her infant.

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.

Word Forms

• mercenaries

Synonyms for mercenary

Depending on context, synonyms include adventurer, bravo, condottiere, filibuster, freebooter, freelance.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include freelance, moneymaking, paid, mercantile, materialistic, worldly.

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