legion

1 of 2

noun

le·​gion ˈlē-jən How to pronounce legion (audio)
1
: the principal unit of the Roman army comprising 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry
Caesar and his legions defeated the Gauls.
2
: a large military force
especially : army sense 1a
the French Foreign Legion
3
: a very large number : multitude
won him … a legion of devoted followersIrving Kolodin
4
: a national association of ex-servicemen
the American Legion

legion

2 of 2

adjective

: many, numerous
the problems are legion

Examples of legion in a Sentence

Noun Legions of people came to see him perform. joined the French Foreign Legion Adjective the obstacles that the programmers had to overcome have been legion
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Like audio descriptions in TV shows and movies, transcripts in podcasts, and haptic feedback for music, technology like Dot’s Braille display are making WEBTOON’s material accessible to Go and legions of other people like her. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 The neighborhood shop quickly assembled legions of Hermès-carrying, Kelly Rutherford-type fans. Denni Hu, WWD, 1 Nov. 2024 At the time, nearly 40 years after its theatrical release, the movie still attracted legions of fans both old and new. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2024 But while legions of Californians have sought a better life for themselves in the Grand Canyon State, their migration has caused some sociopolitical friction, political writer Seema Mehta reported this week. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for legion 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin legion-, legio, from legere to gather — more at legend

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1687, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legion was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near legion

Cite this Entry

“Legion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legion. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

legion

noun
le·​gion
ˈlē-jən
1
: the chief unit of the Roman army consisting of 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry
2
3
: a very large number : multitude

More from Merriam-Webster on legion

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