Dictionary

1mercenary

noun mer·ce·nary \ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē, -ne-rē\

: a soldier who is paid by a foreign country to fight in its army : a soldier who will fight for any group or country that hires him

plural mer·ce·nar·ies

Full Definition of MERCENARY

:  one that serves merely for wages; especially :  a soldier hired into foreign service
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Origin of MERCENARY

Middle English, from Latin mercenarius, irregular from merced-, merces wages — more at mercy
First Known Use: 14th century

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

Rhymes with MERCENARY

actuary, adversary, airy-fairy, ancillary, antiquary, apiary, arbitrary, aviary, axillary, bacillary, beriberi, bestiary, biliary, black raspberry, Bloody Mary, boysenberry, breviary, budgetary, calamari, calamary, candleberry, Canterbury, capillary, carpellary, cassowary, catenary, cautionary, cavitary, cemetery, centenary, certiorari, checkerberry, chinaberry, cometary, commentary, commissary, condottiere, coralberry, corollary, coronary, culinary, customary, dictionary, dietary, dignitary, dromedary, dysentery, elderberry, emissary, estuary, farkleberry, February, formulary, fragmentary, fritillary, functionary, funerary, honorary, huckleberry, intermarry, janissary, January, lamasery, lapidary, lectionary, legendary, legionary, lingonberry, literary, loganberry, luminary, mammillary, mandatary, maxillary, medullary, miliary, military, millenary, milliary, millinery, missionary, momentary, monastery, mortuary, necessary, ordinary, ossuary, partridgeberry, pensionary, pigmentary, planetary, Pondicherry, prebendary, presbytery, pulmonary, quaternary, red mulberry, reliquary, rowanberry, salivary, salmonberry, salutary, sanctuary, sanguinary, sanitary, secondary, secretary, sedentary, seminary, silverberry, solitary, sour cherry, stationary, stationery, statuary, subcontrary, sublunary, sugarberry, sumptuary, syllabary, temporary, tertiary, thimbleberry, Tipperary, Tom and Jerry, topiary, tributary, tutelary, Typhoid Mary, unitary, urinary, vestiary, Virgin Mary, visionary, voluntary, vulnerary, Waterbury, whortleberry, winterberry

2mercenary

adjective

: hired to fight

: caring only about making money

Full Definition of MERCENARY

1
:  serving merely for pay or sordid advantage :  venal; also :  greedy
2
:  hired for service in the army of a foreign country
mer·ce·nar·i·ly \ˌmər-sə-ˈner-ə-lē, -ˈne-rə-\ adverb
mer·ce·nar·i·ness \ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē-nəs, -ˌne-rē-\ noun

First Known Use of MERCENARY

1532

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical
MERCENARY Defined for Kids

1mercenary

noun mer·ce·nary \ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē\
plural mer·ce·nar·ies

Definition of MERCENARY for Kids

:  a soldier paid by a foreign country to fight in its army

2mercenary

adjective

Definition of MERCENARY for Kids

1
:  doing something only for the pay or reward
2
:  greedy for money <I may be mercenary, but I hate poverty … — Louisa May Alcott, Little Women>

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