MERCENARY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for MERCENARY?

Need another word that means the same as “mercenary”? Find 17 synonyms and 30 related words for “mercenary” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Mercenary” are: free-lance, freelance, mercantile, moneymaking, materialistic, worldly-minded, grasping, greedy, acquisitive, avaricious, covetous, rapacious, bribable, venal, soldier of fortune, professional soldier, hireling

Mercenary as a Noun

Definitions of "Mercenary" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “mercenary” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army.
• A person hired to fight for another country than their own.
• A person primarily motivated by personal gain.

Synonyms of "Mercenary" as a noun (3 Words)

hireling	A person who works only for money. The poorly paid hirelings in their shabby clothes.
professional soldier	An athlete who plays for pay.
soldier of fortune	An enlisted man or woman who serves in an army.

Usage Examples of "Mercenary" as a noun

• He had planned to seize power with the aid of a group of mercenaries.
• Cricket's most infamous mercenary.

Mercenary as an Adjective

Definitions of "Mercenary" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “mercenary” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Profit oriented- John Buchan.
• Marked by materialism.
• Primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics.
• Serving for wages in a foreign army.
• Profit oriented.

Synonyms of "Mercenary" as an adjective (14 Words)

acquisitive	Excessively interested in acquiring money or material things. We live in a competitive and acquisitive society.
avaricious	Immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth. They are avaricious and will do anything for money.
bribable	Capable of being corrupted.
covetous	Immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth. Jealous of his success and covetous of his possessions.
free-lance	Working for yourself.
freelance	Self-employed and hired to work for different companies on particular assignments. A freelance journalist.
grasping	Avaricious; greedy. They were regarded as grasping landlords.
greedy	Ardently or excessively desirous. Don t be greedy with the cookies.
materialistic	Conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle class. We re living in a highly materialistic society.
mercantile	Relating to or characteristic of trade or traders. The shift of wealth to the mercantile classes.
moneymaking	Producing a profit, especially with little effort; profitable. A moneymaking business.
rapacious	Devouring or craving food in great quantities. Rapacious landlords.
venal	Showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery; corrupt. A venal police officer.
worldly-minded	Marked by materialism.

Usage Examples of "Mercenary" as an adjective

• Mercenary killers.
• A mercenary enterprise.
• She's nothing but a mercenary little gold-digger.

Associations of "Mercenary" (30 Words)

army	The army of the United States of America the agency that organizes and trains soldiers for land warfare. He joined the army at 16.
commercial	Of or relating to commercialism. Commercial products.
contracted	Reduced in size or pulled together. The contracted pupils of her eyes.
cop	Receive or attain (something welcome. An easy journey if we don t cop any rough weather.
corps	A body of people associated together. At 9 30 a m the press corps was handed what looked to be a routine list of orders.
employ	Put into service make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose. Her place of employ.
employee	A person employed for wages or salary, especially at non-executive level.
epigone	A less distinguished follower or imitator of someone, especially an artist or philosopher. The humdrum compositions of some of Beethoven s epigones.
gendarme	A French policeman. The granite pillars and gendarmes kept the sun from warming us.
headhunter	A person who identifies and approaches suitable candidates employed elsewhere to fill business positions. A headhunter offering you a wonderful new position at a higher salary.
hire	A person who is hired an employee. Wilmot hired a private detective to follow him.
hireling	A person who works only for money. The government s paid hirelings assure us that we re on our way out of recession.
induct	Introduce someone to (a difficult or obscure subject. There was a ceremony to induct the president of the Academy.
lackey	A person who is obsequiously willing to obey or serve another person. He denied that he was the lackey of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
manager	A person in charge of the activities, tactics, and training of a sports team. If I was his manager I would offer Lewis 8 m for the fight.
occupation	The act of occupying or taking possession of a building. A property suitable for occupation by older people.
officer	Provide with military officers. Special Constables provide valuable support to full time officers.
personnel	The department responsible for hiring and training and placing employees and for setting policies for personnel management. Sales personnel.
policeman	A male member of a police force.
profession	A body of people engaged in a particular profession. A profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
recruit	Cause to assemble or enlist in the military. The party recruited many new members.
recruitment	The incorporation of cells from elsewhere in the body into a tissue or region. Methods of military recruitment.
salesclerk	A salesperson in a store.
secretarial	Of or relating to a secretary or to a secretary’s work. Secretarial skills.
sergeant	A rank of non commissioned officer in the army or air force above corporal and below staff sergeant.
servant	A person employed in the service of a government. He was a great servant of the Labour Party.
soldier	Serve as a soldier in the military. Graham wasn t enjoying this but he soldiered on.
staff	Provide with staff. He adopted literature as the staff of his pilgrimage.
sycophant	A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage.
toady	Act in an obsequious way. She imagined him toadying to his rich clients.