mercenary

adjective

1. working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal.
2. hired to serve in a foreign army, guerrilla organization, etc.

noun, plural mer·ce·nar·ies.

3. a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army.
4. any hireling.

adjective

1. influenced by greed or desire for gain
2. of or relating to a mercenary or mercenaries

noun plural -naries

3. a man hired to fight for a foreign army, etc
4. rare any person who works solely for pay

n.late 14c., “one who works only for hire,” from Old French mercenaire “mercenary, hireling” (13c.) and directly from Latin mercenarius “one who does anything for pay,” literally “hired, paid,” from merces (genitive mercedis) “pay, reward, wages,” from merx (see market (n.)). adj.1530s, from mercenary (n.), or in part from Latin mercenarius “hired, paid, serving for pay.”