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mercenaries

- 2 dictionary results

mer⋅ce⋅nar⋅y

[mur-suh-ner-ee] adjective, noun, plural -nar⋅ies.
–adjective
1. working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal.
2. hired to serve in a foreign army, guerrilla organization, etc.
–noun
3. a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army.
4. any hireling.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME mercenarie < L mercēnnārius working for pay, hired worker, mercenary, perh., repr. earlier *mercēd(i)nārius, equiv. to *mercēdin-, s. of *mercēdō, a by-form of mercēs, s. mercēd- payment, wage (akin to merx goods; cf. merchant ) + -ārius -ary


mer⋅ce⋅nar⋅i⋅ly [mur-suh-nair-uh-lee, mur-suh-ner-] , adverb
mer⋅ce⋅nar⋅i⋅ness, noun


1. grasping, acquisitive, avaricious, covetous.


1. altruistic, idealistic, unselfish.
mer·ce·nar·y   (mûr'sə-něr'ē)   
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 mercēnnārius, from mercēs, wages, price.]
mer'ce·nar'i·ly adv., mer'ce·nar'i·ness n.
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