different between mercenary vs vigilante

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.

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish vigilante (“watchman, guard”), from Latin vigilans. Doublet of vigilant.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /v?d???lænti/, /v?d???l??nte?/

Noun

vigilante (plural vigilantes)

1. A person who considers it their own responsibility to uphold the law in their neighborhood and often does so summarily and without legal jurisdiction. [from 19th c.]

Derived terms

• vigilantism
• digilante

Translations

Anagrams

• genitival

French

Adjective

vigilante

1. feminine singular of vigilant

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vigilans, vigilantem.

Verb

vigilante

1. present participle of vigilare

Adjective

vigilante (plural vigilanti)

1. vigilant, watchful, alert

   Synonyms: vigile, attento

Related terms

• vigilanza
• vigilare

Noun

vigilante m or f (plural vigilanti)

1. security guard
2. vigilante

Latin

Participle

vigilante

1. ablative masculine singular of vigil?ns
2. ablative feminine singular of vigil?ns
3. ablative neuter singular of vigil?ns

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vigilans, vigilantem.

Adjective

vigilante m or f (plural vigilantes, comparable)

1. vigilant; watchful; observant (alert and paying close attention)

Derived terms

• vigilantemente

Related terms

• vigilância
• vigilar

Noun

vigilante m, f (plural vigilantes)

1. a person whose job is to watch over something

Further reading

• “vigilante” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vigilans, vigilantem.

Adjective

vigilante (plural vigilantes)

1. watchful, alert, wakeful

Noun

vigilante m or f (plural vigilantes)

1. guard, watchman

   Synonym: guarda

Derived terms

Related terms

• vigilancia
• vigilar

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish vigilante

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bid?i?lante/

Noun

vigilante

1. vigilante
2. a person suspected to be involved in extrajudicial killings in the drug war in the Philippines from 2016.

Related terms

• salvage