different between avaricious vs mercenary

English

Alternative forms

• avaritious (obsolete)
• avaricius (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English avaricious, from Old French avaricieux, from avarice, from Latin avaritia (“greed”), from avarus (“greedy”), of avere (“crave, long for”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æv??????s/

Adjective

avaricious (comparative more avaricious, superlative most avaricious)

1. Actuated by avarice; extremely greedy for wealth or material gain; immoderately desirous of accumulating property.
   • 1835, Robert Montgomery Bird, The Hawks of Hawk-Hollow

     In a word, he was called a hard, avaricious, rapacious man, whose chief business was to enrich himself...

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:greedy

Derived terms

• avariciously
• avariciousness

Related terms

• avarice

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “avaricious”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin merc?n?rius (“hired for money”), from merc?s (“reward, wages, price”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??.s?.n?.?i/, /?m??.s?n.?i/
• (General American) enPR: mûr?s?-n?r'?, IPA^(key): /?m?s??n??i/
• Hyphenation: mer?ce?na?ry

Noun

mercenary (plural mercenaries)

1. (archaic) 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. (figuratively) One hired to engage in a figurative battle, as a corporate takeover, a lawsuit, or a political campaign.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:mercenary

Hyponyms

• condottiere, freelance, gallowglass, Landsknecht, lansquenet, Mamertine, routier, turcopole

Translations

Adjective

mercenary (comparative more mercenary, superlative most mercenary)

1. Motivated by private gain.

Synonyms

• (motivated by private gain): greedy, venal
• (hired for a figurative battle): hired gun

Translations

See also

• soldier

Further reading

• mercenary at OneLook Dictionary Search
• mercenary in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.