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Mercenary vs Spartan - What's the difference?

mercenary | spartan |

As adjectives the difference between mercenary and spartan

is that mercenary is motivated by private gain while spartan is of or relating to sparta or its citizens.

As nouns the difference between mercenary and spartan

is that mercenary is a person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose prime or sole motivation is private gain while spartan is a red apple cultivar from british columbia, canada.

As a proper noun spartan is

a citizen of sparta.

mercenary

English

(wikipedia mercenary)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Motivated by private gain.
  • * Dryden
    • For God forbid I should my papers blot / With mercenary lines, with servile pen.

    Synonyms

    * (motivated by private gain) greedy, venal

    Noun

    (mercenaries)
  • A person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose prime or sole motivation is private gain.

    • Synonyms

    * See

    See also

    * soldier

    spartan

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Austere, frugal, characterized by self-denial.
    • I went on the retreat to the monastery, thinking I would be sleeping in a spartan cell, only to discover a simple but comfortable bedroom.
  • Resolute in the face of danger or adversity.
    • The spartan legionaries vowed to fight to the death.
  • Lacking in decoration and luxury.
    • After ten years as a fashion designer in the rough-and-tumble Garment District, Eloise left New York for the spartan but serene life of a farmer's wife.

    Anagrams

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