legion

1 of 2

noun

le·​gion ˈlē-jən How to pronounce legion (audio)
1
: the principal unit of the Roman army comprising 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry
Caesar and his legions defeated the Gauls.
2
: a large military force
especially : army sense 1a
the French Foreign Legion
3
: a very large number : multitude
won him … a legion of devoted followersIrving Kolodin
4
: a national association of ex-servicemen
the American Legion

legion

2 of 2

adjective

: many, numerous
the problems are legion

Examples of legion in a Sentence

Noun Legions of people came to see him perform. joined the French Foreign Legion Adjective the obstacles that the programmers had to overcome have been legion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
And that has led the Cubs to invite more people like Cooper, who is popular with her legion of followers but doesn’t have the same mass appeal with Cubs fans — or, apparently, Cardinals fans. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025 However jaundiced the perspective of the sole trade reporter in attendance, though, the vibe among the stars on stage and the legions of fans who turned out for the party was purely joyous. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2025 The pop and dance superstar has been promoting singles from the collection for almost a year now, and her legion of fans, known as Animals, are excited for the singer’s sixth full-length. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 Entering this decade, Flamengo’s YouTube channel surpassed over 5 million subscriptions and it is estimated to have had over 40 million fans, a number that has grown even more in recent years. Flamengo has made those legions happy often as an eight-time champion of Brazil’s top league. Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for legion

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin legion-, legio, from legere to gather — more at legend

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1687, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legion was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Legion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legion. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

legion

noun
le·​gion
ˈlē-jən
1
: the chief unit of the Roman army consisting of 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry
2
3
: a very large number : multitude

More from Merriam-Webster on legion

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