First Known Use: 14th century
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
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
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
See mercenary defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of MERCENARY
1532
Related to MERCENARY
- Synonyms
- acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, grabby, grasping, greedy, moneygrubbing, rapacious
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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