What does "mercenary" mean?
One motivated by gain, especially monetary.
Mercenary
/ˈmɜː.sə.nə.ɹi/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One motivated by gain, especially monetary.
- Grammar: mercenary is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: hired gun, soldier of fortune, a hog for, acquisitive.
- Useful contrasts: altruist, altruistic, conscript.
- Usage evidence: As a mercenary, did you participate in torture sessions?
How to use "mercenary"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mercenary" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "mercenary" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "mercenary" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mercenary" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "mercenary" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "hired gun" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "mercenary", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One motivated by gain, especially monetary. archaic
"J. Argyrofylus, a mercenary Greek, who came to teach school in Italy, after the sacking of Constantinople by the Turks, used to maintain that Cicero understood neither Philosophy nor Greek"
- 2 a person hired to fight for another country than their own wordnet
- 3 A person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose primary motivation is private gain.
"He exhorts the emperor to revive the courage of his subjects by the example of manly virtue; to banish luxury from the court and from the camp; to substitute in the place of the Barbarian mercenaries, an army of men interested in the defence of their laws and of their property"
- 4 One hired to engage in a figurative battle, as a corporate takeover, a lawsuit, or a political campaign. figuratively
Adjective
- 1 Motivated by personal gain.
"Success is never so interesting as struggle—not even to the successful, not even to the most mercenary forms of ambition."
Adjective
- 1 profit oriented wordnet
- 2 serving for wages in a foreign army wordnet
- 3 marked by materialism wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"As a mercenary, did you participate in torture sessions?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mercenary"?
Common synonyms include: hired gun, soldier of fortune, a hog for, acquisitive, adventurer, adventurer.
How do you use "mercenary" in a sentence?
As a mercenary, did you participate in torture sessions?
How do you pronounce "mercenary"?
Pronounced /ˈmɜː.sə.nə.ɹi/.
Etymology
From Middle English mercenarye (“someone paid to work, hireling”), from Latin mercēnārius (“hired for money”), from mercēs (“reward, wages, price”).