Motivated only by money or profit, rather than by genuine interest or care; also a soldier hired to fight for a foreign country.
From Latin 'mercenarius' (hired for wages), derived from 'merces' (wages or payment), the word originally just meant a paid worker.
Private military companies still exist today—countries and corporations hire mercenaries for security, combat, and training, raising ethical questions about war and profit that philosophers debate fiercely!
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