Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
1,017,133,161 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

mercenary

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
mer·ce·nar·y  (mûrs-nr)
adj.
1. Motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain.
2. Hired for service in a foreign army.
n. pl. mer·ce·nar·ies
1. One who serves or works merely for monetary gain; a hireling.
2. A professional soldier hired for service in a foreign army.

[Middle English mercenarie, a mercenary, from Old French mercenaire, from Latin mercnnrius, from mercs, wages, price.]

merce·nari·ly adv.
merce·nari·ness n.

mercenary
Noun
pl -naries
a soldier who fights for a foreign army for money
Adjective
1. motivated by greed or the desire for gain: calculating and mercenary businessmen
2. of or relating to a mercenary or mercenaries [Latin merces wages]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.mercenarymercenary - a person hired to fight for another country than their own
adventurer, venturer - a person who enjoys taking risks
ninja - a member of the ninja who were trained in martial arts and hired for espionage or sabotage or assassinations; a person skilled in ninjutsu
Adj.1.mercenary - marked by materialism
worldly, secular, temporal - characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world; "worldly goods and advancement"; "temporal possessions of the church"
2.mercenary - serving for wages in a foreign army; "mercenary killers"
paid - marked by the reception of pay; "paid work"; "a paid official"; "a paid announcement"; "a paid check"
3.mercenarymercenary - profit oriented; "a commercial book"; "preached a mercantile and militant patriotism"- John Buchan; "a mercenary enterprise"; "a moneymaking business"
commercial - connected with or engaged in or sponsored by or used in commerce or commercial enterprises; "commercial trucker"; "commercial TV"; "commercial diamonds"

mercenary
noun 1. hireling, freelance History soldier of fortune, condottiere History free companion History
adjective 2. greedy, grasping, acquisitive, venal, avaricious, covetous, money-grubbing (informal) bribable << OPPOSITE generous
adjective 3. hired, paid, bought, venal
Translations

mercenary [ˈməːsɪnərɪ] adj, nmercenario/a
mercenary [ˈməːsɪnərɪ] adj [person] → intéressé(e)mercenaire
nmercenaire m
mercenary [ˈməːsɪnərɪ] adj (person) → geldgierig
nSöldner m
mercenary [ˈməːsɪnərɪ] adjvenale

mercenary
adj mercenary [ˈməːsinəri]
too strongly influenced by desire for money a mercenary attitude.omkoopbaarمادّي، يَهُمُّه كَسْب المالкористенzištnýberegnendegewinnsüchtigπαραδόπιστος, συμφεροντολόγοςinteresadoomakasupüüdlikآدم اجیرlaskelmoivaintéresséרוֹדֵף בֶּצַעभाड़े का, धन-लोलुपplaćeničkikalmárszelleműtamakmála-, málaliða-mercenario, venale金銭づくの물욕이 강한, 돈에 집착하는gobšus, savanaudiškasmantkārīgs; naudaskārstamakgeldzuchtigkremmeraktig, pengegriskchciwymercenáriomercantilкорыстныйzištnýkoristoljubenkoristoljubivvinningslystenซึ่งรับจ้างparacı, para canlısı貪財的, 唯利是圖的корисливийزر طلبvụ lợi,
nplural ˈmercenaries
a soldier from one country who hires his services to another country Mercenaries are fighting in Africa.geldsoldaat, huursoldaatمُرْتَزِقнаемникžoldnéřlejesoldatder Söldnerμισθοφόροςmercenariopalgasõdurسرباز مزدورpalkkasoturimercenaireשְׂכִיר חֶרֶבकिराये का सैनिकplaćenicizsoldos (katona)tentara bayaranmálaliðimercenario傭兵용병samdinysalgotņiaskar upahanhuursoldaatleiesoldatnajemnikmercenáriomercenarнаёмникžoldniernajemnikplaćeni vojniklegosoldatผู้รับจ้างparalı asker外國僱傭兵найманецьغیر ملکی ملازمت میں کرائے کا فوجیlính đánh thuê佣兵

?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The mercenary captains are either capable men or they are not; if they are, you cannot trust them, because they always aspire to their own greatness, either by oppressing you, who are their master, or others contrary to your intentions; but if the captain is not skilful, you are ruined in the usual way.
Pray, my dear aunt, what is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive?
My Father (he continued) is a mean and mercenary wretch--it is only to such particular freinds as this Dear Party that I would thus betray his failings.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a. Terms of Use.