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🇩🇪German Source WordCode: DE

Söldner

Pronunciation / Transliteration: /ˈzœld.nɐ/

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Mercenary/ˈmɜːr.sə.ner.i/
nounadjectiveCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #4500 frequency
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🇩🇪 Example Sentence in German:

"Die Truppe bestand größtenteils aus erfahrenen Söldnern."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army for financial reward rather than political interests.

    "The besieged city relied on a group of hardened mercenaries to bolster its defense."
As adjective
  1. 1

    Primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics; motivated solely by personal gain.

    "He had purely mercenary reasons for accepting the high-paying corporate position."
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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'mercenarius' meaning 'hireling', originating from 'merces' meaning 'reward, wages, or pay'. It entered Middle English via Old French in the 15th century, retaining its core connotation of working purely for monetary gain rather than ideological or loyal motives.

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