Mercenary

A mercenary is a soldier who fights, or engages in warfare primarily for private gain, usually with little regard for ideological, national or political considerations. However, when the term is used to refer to a soldier in a regular national army, it is usually considered an insult, epithet or pejorative.

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See also laws of war.

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In the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions (GC) of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977 it is stated:

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Art 47. Mercenaries

Soldier: A soldier is a person who has enlisted with, or has been conscripted into, the armed forces of a sovereign country and has undergone training and received equipment (such as a uniform and weapon) to defend that country or its interests. In most countries, the term soldier is limited to such people ...

Epithet: An epithet (Greek and Latin epitheton; literally meaning 'imposed') is a descriptive word or phrase. It has various shades of meaning when applied to linguistics, religion, and biological nomenclature....

Pejorative: A word or phrase is a pejorative (occasionally misspelled perjorative) if it expresses contempt or disapproval. The adjective pejorative is synonymous with derogatory and dyslogistic (noun: dyslogism) (antonyms: meliorative, eulogistic, noun eulogism). Dyslogisms such as "pea-brain" and "bottom-feed...

Mercenary related Images and Photos (experimental)

Queen's Blade Echidna Veteran Mercenary Black Version Statue

Blackwater The Rise of the Worlds Most Powerful Mercenary Army (Paperback) Book