mer|ce|nar|y

mer|ce|nar|y
mer|ce|nar|y «MUR suh NEHR ee», adjective, noun, plural -nar|ies.
–adj.
1. working for money only; acting with money as the motive: »

Such wretches are kept in pay by some mercenary bookseller (Oliver Goldsmith).

 SYNONYM(S): hireling, grasping.
2. done for money or gain: »

a mercenary marriage.

SYNONYM(S): venal.
3. hired to fight for a foreign ruler, army, or cause: »

These…Followed their mercenary calling And took their wages and are dead (A. E. Housman).

–n.
1. a soldier serving for pay in a foreign army: »

Persia, Greece, and Rome all employed mercenaries, but mercenaries became most prominent from the 1200's to the 1500's, when Swiss and German soldiers were in great demand (Theodore Ropp).

2. a person who works merely for pay.
╂[< Latin mercēnārius < mercēs, -edis wages < merx, mercis wares, merchandise]

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • mer|ce|nar|i|ly — «MUR suh NEHR uh lee», adverb. in a mercenary manner …   Useful english dictionary

  • mer|ce|nar|i|ness — «MUR suh NEHR ee nihs», noun. the character of being mercenary …   Useful english dictionary

  • un|mer|ce|nar|y — «uhn MUR suh NEHR ee», adjective. not mercenary; not working or acting for money only …   Useful english dictionary

  • mer — mer·al·lu·ride; mer·a·mec; mer·bro·min; mer·cal·li; mer·cal·lite; mer·can·tile; mer·can·til·ism; mer·cap·tal; mer·cap·tan; mer·cap·tide; mer·cap·to; mer·cap·to·acetic; mer·cap·to·benzothiazole; mer·cap·tole; mer·cap·tom·er·in; mer·cap·to·purine;… …   English syllables

  • nar — ac·a·ri·nar·i·um; ac·i·nar; ac·i·nar·i·ous; ac·ti·nar·ia; ad·es·se·nar·i·an; al·cy·o·nar·ia; al·ter·nar·ia; amil·le·nar·i·an; an·ten·nar·ia; an·ti·the·nar; ar·e·nar·ia; ar·e·nar·i·ous; arun·di·nar·ia; at·ti·tu·di·nar·i·an; bi·pin·nar·ia;… …   English syllables

  • mercenaria — mer·ce·nar·ia …   English syllables

  • mercenarily — mer·ce·nar·i·ly …   English syllables

  • mercenary — mer•ce•nar•y [[t]ˈmɜr səˌnɛr i[/t]] adj. n. pl. nar•ies 1) working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal 2) hired to serve in a foreign army 3) mil a soldier hired to serve in a foreign army 4) any hireling • Etymology: 1350–1400; ME… …   From formal English to slang

  • mercenary — mer|ce|nar|y1 [ mɜrsn,eri ] adjective interested only in the money or other personal advantages that you can get from something. This word usually shows that you dislike people who have this attitude. mer|ce|nar|y2 [ mɜrsn,eri ] noun count a… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • mercenariness — mer·ce·nar·i·ness …   English syllables

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