mercenary
MUR-suh-ner-ee
/ˈmɜː.sən.ri/
A professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army, primarily motivated by financial gain.
Carries a negative connotation of opportunism, prioritizing financial payout over national loyalty or ethics.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'mercenarius' (hired for wages), derived from 'merces' (pay or wages). It was used in ancient Rome for paid manual laborers, but acquired its primary military sense in Middle English as private soldiers sold combat services.
Word relationships
- soldier of fortune: A slightly more romanticized term for a mercenary who travels for adventure and financial profit.
- hired gun: An informal term emphasizing lethal skill hired for personal or corporate gain.
- patriot: A person who serves or defends their nation out of love for country rather than money.
Commonly confused with
- militia: Militia members serve their home communities out of civic duty, whereas mercenaries sell combat services to foreign buyers.
Word family
- mercenariness (noun): An excessive focus on financial reward.
Collocations
- mercenary army
- mercenary soldier
- mercenary motives
- hired mercenary
Example sentences
- "The king hired a company of Swiss mercenary soldiers to breach the city walls." Medieval history chronicle
- "Critics denounced the private military company as a mercenary outfit operating outside international legal oversight." Modern geopolitical commentary
Memory hook
Mercenary fights for MONEY (merces). Money over loyalty.
When not to use
Do not use for patriotic volunteers serving in their own country's military or unpaid idealists.
Fun facts
- The Renaissance Swiss Guard and German Landsknechte were among the most famous mercenary infantry units in European history.
Related words
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