mercenary

Characterizing the outrage that followed as a strategic error feels a little mercenary.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Xenophon became in essence a mercenary lord, somewhat like the condottieri of Renaissance Italy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Platner also faced questions from fellow progressives regarding the time he spent employed as a security contractor associated with the mercenary force Blackwater.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

"They didn't stamp our passports," a mercenary told the rights group, describing his journey through the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

But not considering such troops reliable, he turned to mercenary forces, judging them to be less dangerous, and he hired the Orsini and the Vitelli.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Despite trumpeting pan-African and pro-independence messages, all three have welcomed Russian mercenaries to help fight jihadists loyal to either Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group, who have run rampant across the three countries.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

The corsairs, sometimes defining themselves as a naval mujahideen, also acted as mercenaries or proxies.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

It was but a week after its appearance that Washington and his men crossed the icy Delaware River by night and surprised Hessian mercenaries in Trenton, N.J.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

In recent years, a United Nations peacekeeping mission, Rwandan troops and Russian mercenaries from the notorious Wagner group have helped to improve the Central African Republic's security situation.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

A professional army would also be less expensive than using mercenaries.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz