Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [mur-suh-ner-ee]
- /ˈmɜr səˌnɛr i/
- /ˈmɜː.sən.ri/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [mur-suh-ner-ee]
- /ˈmɜr səˌnɛr i/
Definitions of mercenary word
- adjective mercenary working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal. 1
- adjective mercenary hired to serve in a foreign army, guerrilla organization, etc. 1
- noun plural mercenary a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army. 1
- noun plural mercenary any hireling. 1
- noun mercenary (of a person or their behavior) Primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics. 1
- adjective mercenary motivated by money 1
Information block about the term
Origin of mercenary
First appearance:
before 1350 One of the 20% oldest English words
1350-1400; Middle English mercenarie < Latin mercēnnārius working for pay, hired worker, mercenary, perhaps, representing earlier *mercēd(i)nārius, equivalent to *mercēdin-, stem of *mercēdō, a by-form of mercēs, stem mercēd- payment, wage (akin to merx goods; cf. merchant) + -ārius -ary
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Mercenary
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
mercenary popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 75% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
mercenary usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for mercenary
adj mercenary
- selfish — devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.
- unscrupulous — not scrupulous; unrestrained by scruples; conscienceless; unprincipled.
- acquisitive — If you describe a person or an organization as acquisitive, you do not approve of them because you think they are too concerned with getting new possessions.
- grasping — greedy; avaricious: a sly, grasping man.
- avaricious — An avaricious person is very greedy for money or possessions.
noun mercenary
- warrior — a person engaged or experienced in warfare; soldier.
- hireling — a person who works only for pay, especially in a menial or boring job, with little or no concern for the value of the work.
- slave — a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a bond servant.
- soldier of fortune — a person who independently seeks pleasure, wealth, etc., through adventurous exploits.
- legionnaire — (often initial capital letter) a member of the American Legion.
adjective mercenary
- greedy — excessively or inordinately desirous of wealth, profit, etc.; avaricious: the greedy owners of the company.
- money grubber — a person who is aggressively engaged in or preoccupied with making or saving money.
Antonyms for mercenary
adj mercenary
adjective mercenary
- altruistic — If your behaviour or motives are altruistic, you show concern for the happiness and welfare of other people rather than for yourself.
Top questions with mercenary
- what is a mercenary?
- how to become a mercenary?
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- how to become a mercenary without military experience?
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- how do you become a mercenary?
- how to join a mercenary company?
- soldier of fortune guide to how to become a mercenary?
- what does mercenary?
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- how much does a mercenary get paid?
- how much does a mercenary make?
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with m
- Words starting with me
- Words starting with mer
- Words starting with merc
- Words starting with merce
- Words starting with mercen
- Words starting with mercena
- Words starting with mercenar
- Words starting with mercenary