mer·ce·nar·y / ˈmərsəˌnerē/ • adj. derog. (of a person or their behavior) primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics: she's nothing but a mercenary little gold digger.• n. (pl. -nar·ies) a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army. ∎  a person primarily concerned with material reward at the expense of ethics: the sport's most infamous mercenary.DERIVATIVES: mer·ce·nar·i·ness n.

Mercenary ★★ 1996

Ex-Commando-turned-mercenary Alex Hawks (Gruner) is hired by wealthy businessman Jonas Ambler (Ritter) to avenge his wife's death at the hands of terrorists. Only Ambler's desk jockey doesn't want to stay on the sidelines and watch—he wants to do. So, Hawks is forced to take him along to Iraq when he goes after the bad guys. 97m/C VHS . Olivier Gruner, John Ritter, Robert Culp, Ed Lauter, Martin Kove; D: Avi Nesher; W: Avi Nesher, Steven Hartov; C: Irek Hartowicz; M: Roger Neill.

mercenary adj. XVI; sb. XIV. — L. mercēnārius, earlier mercennārius, f. mercēs, mercēd- reward, wages; see -ARY.