mer·ce·nary
ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē 
-ne-rē
plural mercenaries
: one that serves merely for wages
especially
: a soldier hired into foreign service
mercenaries who guaranteed the success of the rebellion —
B. F. Reilly
B. F. Reilly 2
: hired for service in the army of a foreign country
Examples of mercenary in a Sentence
Noun
an army of foreign mercenaries
Adjective
His motives in choosing a career were purely mercenary.
they were a mercenary couple, who defined themselves not by what they were but by what they owned
Recent Examples on the Web
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
She is thrown into work when a team of mercenaries crash the party and take the guests hostage.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 June 2025
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 12 July 2025
As mercenary Zora Bennett, Johansson leads a dangerous expedition in Jurassic World Rebirth, building a rapport with Bailey's character, super-smart paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
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Noun
Andy, once a centuries-old immortal who has now lost her healing powers, must race across continents to recover her magic, all the while facing deadly mercenaries and ancient evils.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
She is thrown into work when a team of mercenaries crash the party and take the guests hostage.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 June 2025
Adjective
Discovered by the priest Ahk-Ton and molded into the glimmering Orb of Ra, this powerful cosmic relic would be discovered thousands of years later by mercenary archaeologist Rex Mason.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 12 July 2025
As mercenary Zora Bennett, Johansson leads a dangerous expedition in Jurassic World Rebirth, building a rapport with Bailey's character, super-smart paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercenary. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mercenary
1 of 2 noun
mer·ce·nary
ˈmərs-ᵊn-ˌer-ē
plural mercenaries
: one that serves only for wages
especially
: a soldier hired by a foreign country to fight in its army
mercenary
2 of 2 adjective1
: serving only for the pay or reward
mercenary armies
mercenary soldier
2
: greedy for money
mercenary business owners
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