Definitions for: Mercenary

[n] a person hired to fight for another country than their own
[adj] profit oriented; "a commercial book"; "preached a mercantile and militant patriotism"- John Buchan; "a mercenary enterprise"; "a moneymaking business"
[adj] marked by materialism

Webster (1913) Definition: Mer"ce*na*ry, a. [OE. mercenarie, F. mercenaire, fr.
L. mercenarius, fr. merces wages, reward. See Mercy.]
1. Acting for reward; serving for pay; paid; hired; hireling;
venal; as, mercenary soldiers.

2. Hence: Moved by considerations of pay or profit; greedy of
gain; sordid; selfish. --Shak.

For God forbid I should my papers blot With
mercenary lines, with servile pen. --Daniel.

Syn: See Venal.

Mer"ce*na*ry, n.; pl. Mercenaries.
One who is hired; a hireling; especially, a soldier hired
into foreign service. --Milman.

Synonyms: commercial, materialistic, mercantile, moneymaking(a), soldier of fortune, worldly, worldly-minded

See Also: adventurer, venturer

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