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 WebAmber Corrine, VIBE.com, 6 Aug. 2024
But beyond eastern Ukraine, Russian mercenaries have rarely suffered a setback on this scale.
—Tim Lister, CNN, 29 July 2024
Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2024
Here, Isaac plays a man with dissociative identity disorder, giving us not one but three distinct characters: mercenary Mark Spector, British gift shop employee Steven Grant, and the mysterious—and seemingly ominous—Jake Lockley.
—Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary 
Noun
Kevin Hart — known for his comedic roles, a few dramatic turns and gut-busting stand-up — has now taken on the starring role of reliable mercenary, Roland, in the film adaptation of the video game, Borderlands.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 6 Aug. 2024
But beyond eastern Ukraine, Russian mercenaries have rarely suffered a setback on this scale.
—Tim Lister, CNN, 29 July 2024
Adjective
Néstor Carbonell The first-time nominee (!) radiates hilarious swagger and swashbuckling charm as Shōgun's Vasco Rodrigues, a mercenary sailor who helped stranded British sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) acclimate to Japanese culture.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2024
Here, Isaac plays a man with dissociative identity disorder, giving us not one but three distinct characters: mercenary Mark Spector, British gift shop employee Steven Grant, and the mysterious—and seemingly ominous—Jake Lockley.
—Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mercenary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mercenary
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercenary. Accessed 18 Aug. 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