legionary

1 of 2

adjective

le·​gion·​ary ˈlē-jə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce legionary (audio)
-ˌne-rē
Synonyms of legionarynext
: of, relating to, or constituting a legion

legionary

2 of 2

noun

plural legionaries
: legionnaire

Synonyms of legionary

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Noun

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Examples of legionary in a Sentence

Noun the daring exploits of the French legionaries have long been the stuff of literary and cinematic legend
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The Roman city of Cologne and a legionary fortress in Bonn were also nearby — raising the possibility of a military connection. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 For over 100 years, this soil has been excavated, consistently yielding impressive artifacts related to legionary life. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
The hoard consists of 25 silver denarii in total, equal to the monthly salary of a Roman legionary — or citizen soldier. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025 Their deployments lack the ideological zeal of the foreign legionaries who flocked to Ukraine in the early months of the war. — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for legionary

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English legyonary, from Latin legionarius, from legion-, legio

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1536, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legionary was in the 15th century

Rhymes for legionary

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Browse Nearby Words

legion
legionary
legionary ant
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Cite this Entry

“Legionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legionary. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

legionary

1 of 2 adjective
le·​gion·​ary ˈlē-jə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce legionary (audio)
: of, relating to, or forming a legion

legionary

2 of 2 noun
plural legionaries
: legionnaire
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