mer·ce·nary
ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē 
-ne-rē
plural mercenaries
: one that serves merely for wages
especially
: a soldier hired into foreign service
mercenaries who guaranteed the success of the rebellion —
B. F. Reilly
B. F. Reilly 2
: hired for service in the army of a foreign country
Synonyms
Examples of mercenary in a Sentence
Noun
an army of foreign mercenaries
Adjective
His motives in choosing a career were purely mercenary.
they were a mercenary couple, who defined themselves not by what they were but by what they owned
Recent Examples on the Web
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Hubbard, originally from Michigan, was accused of fighting against Russia for monetary compensation and pleaded guilty last month to charges of being a mercenary, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.
—Lauren Kent, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
While the case was first opened in 2020, when Google blocked channels that then belonged to Wagner Group mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, it was expanded when YouTube banned further channels after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary 
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
In February 2024, the media reported that as many as 15,000 Nepali men had joined the Russian military as mercenaries.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Hubbard, originally from Michigan, was accused of fighting against Russia for monetary compensation and pleaded guilty last month to charges of being a mercenary, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.
—Lauren Kent, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The fourth season of Apple TV+’s Slow Horses concludes with a big ol’ reveal: Frank Harkness, the rogue intelligence operative our titular bargain-bin agents have been chasing the whole time, isn’t just the head of a mercenary cabal staffed with men he’s brainwashed since childhood.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
While the case was first opened in 2020, when Google blocked channels that then belonged to Wagner Group mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, it was expanded when YouTube banned further channels after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary
Dictionary Entries Near mercenary
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercenary. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mercenary
1 of 2 noun
mer·ce·nary
ˈmərs-ᵊn-ˌer-ē
plural mercenaries
: one that serves only for wages
especially
: a soldier hired by a foreign country to fight in its army
mercenary
2 of 2 adjective1
: serving only for the pay or reward
mercenary armies
mercenary soldier
2
: greedy for money
mercenary business owners
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share