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Missionary vs Mercenary - What's the difference?

missionary | mercenary |

As nouns the difference between missionary and mercenary

is that missionary is one who is sent on a mission while 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.

As an adjective mercenary is

motivated by private gain.

missionary

English

Noun

(missionaries)
  • One who is sent on a mission.
  • A person who travels attempting to spread a religion or a creed.
    • A Muslim missionary was just trying to convert me to Islam .
  • (pejorative) A religious messenger.
  • (uncountable) A common position for undertaking sexual intercourse.

    • See also

    * (wikipedia "missionary") *

    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