mercenary

Meanings

• noun

  A professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army.

  - "The mercenary fought bravely in the war."
  - "Many countries hire mercenaries to bolster their military."

• noun

  A person who sells a skill or service for money; a freelance.

  - "He is a mercenary photographer, traveling the world to take stunning pictures for magazines."
  - "The mercenary lawyer took on the case for a high fee."

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Pronunciation

1. /ˈmɜː.sə.nə.ɹi/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1879460"

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Synonyms

hired gun , greedy , venal

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with mercenary
jerry , Perry,erry,erry,erry , Querry

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Homophones

Words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling,

1. Mercenary (English) : Professional soldier for hire.
   

2. Mercenary (English) : A person who sells a skill or service for money; a freelance.
   

3. Mercantile (English) : Relating to trade or commerce.
   

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Variants

List of all variants of mercenary that leads to same result
mercenaries , mercenary , mercenarily , mercenariness , mercenarinesses

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Forms

Different forms of the word (e.g., verb conjugations, plural forms, comparative/superlative forms for adjectives).

mercenaries, mercenaried, mercenarying

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Old French mercenier, from merces 'rewards, wages', from merx 'merchandise, merchandise sold'.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The term 'mercenary' comes from the Latin word merces, meaning 'wages'.

2. Mercenaries have been used since ancient times, with records dating back to the Roman Republic and the Greek city-states.

3. Some famous mercenary companies include the 'Soldier of Fortune' and 'Blackwater USA'.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. Mercenary Companies: Organizations that recruit, train, and deploy mercenaries for various purposes.

2. Private Military Companies (PMCs): Modern-day mercenary organizations that provide military services to governments and corporations.

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

Mercenaries have been a significant part of history, particularly during times of war. They have been depicted in literature, art, and music. For instance, in Shakespeare's 'Henry IV, Part 1', the character Hotspur hires mercenaries from the Welsh captain Fluellen. In the movie 'The Mercenary', directed by Renzo Martinelli, the life of a real-life Italian mercenary is portrayed.

How to Memorize "mercenary"

1. visualize
   

   - Imagine a person wearing a helmet and carrying a large sword, representing a professional soldier for hire.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word with 'hired gun' or 'freelance'.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Create a mnemonic by remembering 'Mercenaries Make Money'.

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