English word mercenary comes from Latin mereo (I earn a living. I earn, deserve, merit, obtain.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| mereo | Latin (lat) | I earn a living. I earn, deserve, merit, obtain. |
| merx | Latin (lat) | Goods. Merchandise, commodity. |
| mercedem | Latin (lat) | |
| mercenarius | Latin (lat) | Hired for pay. Mercenary. |
| mercenary | English (en) | Motivated by private gain. (archaic) One motivated by gain, especially monetary.. (figuratively) One hired to engage in a figurative battle, as a corporate takeover, a lawsuit, or a political campaign.. 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. |