mercenaire

mercenary

noun adjective mehr-suh-NEHR Rare

Origin: Latin 'mercenarius' (hired for pay)

Usage Note

Mercenaire can be a noun (a hired soldier) or an adjective (motivated purely by money). The adjective mercenaire applied to a person implies greed and a lack of principle. The noun mercenariat refers to the practice of hiring mercenaries and is used in geopolitical contexts.

Examples

"Il s'était engagé comme mercenaire en Afrique."

Natural Translation

He had enlisted as a mercenary in Africa.

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