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Profiteer vs Mercenary - What's the difference?

profiteer | mercenary |

As nouns the difference between profiteer and mercenary

is that profiteer is one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by cost or risk 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 a verb profiteer

is to make an unreasonable profit not justified by cost or risk.

As an adjective mercenary is

motivated by private gain.

profiteer

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (pejorative) One who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by cost or risk.

    • Related terms

    * profiteering * profit monger

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make an unreasonable profit not justified by cost or risk.

    • 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