# mercenary

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɜː.sə.nə.ɹi/ · frequency rank #20,706

## Definitions
1. One motivated by gain, especially monetary.
2. A person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose primary motivation is private gain.
3. One hired to engage in a figurative battle, as a corporate takeover, a lawsuit, or a political campaign.

## Etymology
From Middle English mercenarye (“someone paid to work, hireling”), from Latin mercēnārius (“hired for money”), from mercēs (“reward, wages, price”).

## Common misspellings (14)
`emrcenary`, `mecrenary`, `merccenary`, `merceanry`, `mercenarry`, `mercenaryy`, `mercenayr`, `mercennary`, `mercenray`, `mercneary`, `merecnary`, `merrcenary`, `mmercenary`, `mrecenary`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mercenary