Mercenary
noun
A person who works only for money, especially a soldier who is paid by a foreign country to fight in their war.
He was a hardened mercenary who would fight for any side that paid him well.
Often appears as...
- hired mercenary
- professional mercenary
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Motivated primarily by the desire for gain.
She accused him of having mercenary motives for wanting to marry her wealthy daughter.
Often appears as...
- mercenary interests
- mercenary motives
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A person who works only for money, especially a soldier who is paid by a foreign country to fight in their war.
He was a hardened mercenary who would fight for any side that paid him well.
Often appears as...
- hired mercenary
- professional mercenary
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Motivated primarily by the desire for gain.
She accused him of having mercenary motives for wanting to marry her wealthy daughter.
Often appears as...
- mercenary interests
- mercenary motives
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Negative Connotation
Implies disapproval and a lack of moral or ethical values in taking up causes for personal gain.
People viewed him as a mercenary, uninterested in the righteous cause.
Pro Tip 2/3Neutral Contexts
Historically neutral when describing soldiers in past conflicts, such as mercenaries in medieval times.
Medieval mercenaries were common in European wars.
Pro Tip 3/3Literary Usage
Often appears in literature and media, depicting a character with complex moral ambiguity.
The mercenary's loyalty shifted as the war progressed.
Pro Tip 1/3Negative Connotation
Implies disapproval and a lack of moral or ethical values in taking up causes for personal gain.
People viewed him as a mercenary, uninterested in the righteous cause.
Pro Tip 2/3Neutral Contexts
Historically neutral when describing soldiers in past conflicts, such as mercenaries in medieval times.
Medieval mercenaries were common in European wars.
Pro Tip 3/3Literary Usage
Often appears in literature and media, depicting a character with complex moral ambiguity.
The mercenary's loyalty shifted as the war progressed.
Pro Tip 1/3Negative Connotation
Implies disapproval and a lack of moral or ethical values in taking up causes for personal gain.
People viewed him as a mercenary, uninterested in the righteous cause.
Pro Tip 2/3Neutral Contexts
Historically neutral when describing soldiers in past conflicts, such as mercenaries in medieval times.
Medieval mercenaries were common in European wars.
Pro Tip 3/3Literary Usage
Often appears in literature and media, depicting a character with complex moral ambiguity.
The mercenary's loyalty shifted as the war progressed.
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Video examples
Shyam Sankar: The rise...
Perhaps most clever of all, though, and least obvious, by flipping the data on its head, the researchers were able to deeply explore the coordination networks in Syria that were ultimately responsible for receiving and transporting the foreign fighters to the border. These were networks of mercenaries, not ideologues,
Video examples
Sarah Kaminsky: My...
he continued to make false papers at the expense of all kinds of sacrifices. I'd like to talk about those sacrifices, because there were many. There were obviously financial sacrifices because he always refused to be paid. To him, being paid would have meant being a mercenary. If he had accepted payment,
Video examples
The rise of human-compute...
though and least obvious by flipping the data on its head the researchers were able to deeply explore the coordination networks in Syria that were ultimately responsible for receiving and transporting the foreign fighters to the border these were networks of mercenaries not ideologues who were in
Video examples
The rise and fall of the...
was the severed head of a foe. They preserved these heads in jars of cedar oil and showed them to guests who visited their homes. Celtic warriors were so valued in the ancient world that foreign kings often hired them as mercenary soldiers to serve in their armies.
Video examples
The history of tattoos -...
There's also a long tradition of people being tattooed unwillingly. Greeks and Romans tattooed slaves and mercenaries to discourage escape and desertion. Criminals in Japan were tattooed as such as far back as the 7th century.
Video examples
The Obsession of the...
become a language that all humans speak this is the story of how money made us modern how it opened the globe and spread ideologies transforming the ancient world into a complex civilization of merchants mercenaries
Video examples
3 ways to be a more...
And I should be thinking about ways to help them partner with us and invest in a more meaningful way. I know this sounds a tad mercenary. I'm not confused about how it sounds. But here's what I want to tell you,
Video examples
The Family that Shoots...
deep in the woods of Tennessee there's a training facility for soldiers security personnel and mercenaries for hire all stable person they can say whatever they want when it works that works that take
Video examples
A brief history of goths...
As the Roman Empire split in two, these tribal armies played larger roles in its defense and internal power struggles. In the 5th century, a mercenary revolt lead by a soldier named Odoacer
Video examples
Why do we feel...
affecting Swiss mercenaries serving abroad. Its symptoms, including fatigue, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, indigestion, and fever were so strong, the soldiers often had to be discharged.
Video examples
Shyam Sankar: The rise...
Perhaps most clever of all, though, and least obvious, by flipping the data on its head, the researchers were able to deeply explore the coordination networks in Syria that were ultimately responsible for receiving and transporting the foreign fighters to the border. These were networks of mercenaries, not ideologues,
Video examples
Sarah Kaminsky: My...
he continued to make false papers at the expense of all kinds of sacrifices. I'd like to talk about those sacrifices, because there were many. There were obviously financial sacrifices because he always refused to be paid. To him, being paid would have meant being a mercenary. If he had accepted payment,
Video examples
The rise of human-compute...
though and least obvious by flipping the data on its head the researchers were able to deeply explore the coordination networks in Syria that were ultimately responsible for receiving and transporting the foreign fighters to the border these were networks of mercenaries not ideologues who were in
Video examples
The rise and fall of the...
was the severed head of a foe. They preserved these heads in jars of cedar oil and showed them to guests who visited their homes. Celtic warriors were so valued in the ancient world that foreign kings often hired them as mercenary soldiers to serve in their armies.
Video examples
The history of tattoos -...
There's also a long tradition of people being tattooed unwillingly. Greeks and Romans tattooed slaves and mercenaries to discourage escape and desertion. Criminals in Japan were tattooed as such as far back as the 7th century.
Video examples
The Obsession of the...
become a language that all humans speak this is the story of how money made us modern how it opened the globe and spread ideologies transforming the ancient world into a complex civilization of merchants mercenaries
Video examples
3 ways to be a more...
And I should be thinking about ways to help them partner with us and invest in a more meaningful way. I know this sounds a tad mercenary. I'm not confused about how it sounds. But here's what I want to tell you,
Video examples
The Family that Shoots...
deep in the woods of Tennessee there's a training facility for soldiers security personnel and mercenaries for hire all stable person they can say whatever they want when it works that works that take
Video examples
A brief history of goths...
As the Roman Empire split in two, these tribal armies played larger roles in its defense and internal power struggles. In the 5th century, a mercenary revolt lead by a soldier named Odoacer
Video examples
Why do we feel...
affecting Swiss mercenaries serving abroad. Its symptoms, including fatigue, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, indigestion, and fever were so strong, the soldiers often had to be discharged.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Sabaa Tahir
Pakistani Writer
I don't go on social media with a mercenary intent to promote. That's just wrong. I go to learn, to listen, to have fun, to find people who love what I love and who introduce me to new things. That's where the joy is: in the interactions.
Quote examples
Mike Rowe
American Celebrity
Most of the things I do brand wise are both missionary and mercenary in their position, and that's really important to me; that's one of the first things I look at when I say, 'does it make sense to do a deal?
Quote examples
Boris Yeltsin
Russian Statesman
Thousands of mercenaries, who have trained in camps on the territory of Chechnya as well as come in from abroad, are actually preparing to impose extremist ideas on the whole world.
Quote examples
Robbie Fowler
English Athlete
It sounds mercenary and it smacks of rats leaving the sinking ship. But get real, when everyone is bailing out, you don't want to be the last man standing.
Quote examples
Michael Avenatti
American Lawyer
I'm a mercenary. That's what people hire me for, and I don't apologize for it.
Quote examples
Larry Holmes
American Athlete
I never tried to be a mercenary or a killer but a hard working fighter.
Quote examples
Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf
Iraqi Public Servant
We will push those crooks, those mercenaries back into the swamp.
Quote examples
Sam Altman
American Businessman
You really want a company full of missionaries, not mercenaries.
Quote examples
Rick Majerus
American Coach
Pro basketball is a very mercenary endeavor.
Quote examples
Ted Waitt
American Businessman
I don't want a mercenary management team.
Quote examples
Sabaa Tahir
Pakistani Writer
I don't go on social media with a mercenary intent to promote. That's just wrong. I go to learn, to listen, to have fun, to find people who love what I love and who introduce me to new things. That's where the joy is: in the interactions.
Quote examples
Mike Rowe
American Celebrity
Most of the things I do brand wise are both missionary and mercenary in their position, and that's really important to me; that's one of the first things I look at when I say, 'does it make sense to do a deal?
Quote examples
Boris Yeltsin
Russian Statesman
Thousands of mercenaries, who have trained in camps on the territory of Chechnya as well as come in from abroad, are actually preparing to impose extremist ideas on the whole world.
Quote examples
Robbie Fowler
English Athlete
It sounds mercenary and it smacks of rats leaving the sinking ship. But get real, when everyone is bailing out, you don't want to be the last man standing.
Quote examples
Michael Avenatti
American Lawyer
I'm a mercenary. That's what people hire me for, and I don't apologize for it.
Quote examples
Larry Holmes
American Athlete
I never tried to be a mercenary or a killer but a hard working fighter.
Quote examples
Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf
Iraqi Public Servant
We will push those crooks, those mercenaries back into the swamp.
Quote examples
Sam Altman
American Businessman
You really want a company full of missionaries, not mercenaries.
Quote examples
Rick Majerus
American Coach
Pro basketball is a very mercenary endeavor.
Quote examples
Ted Waitt
American Businessman
I don't want a mercenary management team.
Example 1 of 10
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