Rapacious vs Mercenary - What's the difference?
rapacious | mercenary | Related terms |
Voracious; avaricious.
* 1787 , :
Given to taking by force or plundering; aggressively greedy.
* 1910 , :
Subsisting off live prey.
* 1827 , :
Motivated by private gain.
* Dryden
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.
Rapacious is a related term of mercenary.
As adjectives the difference between rapacious and mercenary
is that rapacious is voracious; avaricious while mercenary is motivated by private gain.As a noun 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.rapacious
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- To presume a want of motives for such contests [of power between states] as an argument against their existence, would be to forget that men are ambitious, vindictive, and rapacious .
- A Prince [...] sooner becomes hated by being rapacious and by interfering with the property and with the women of his subjects, than in any other way.
- Even the rapacious birds appeared to comprehend the nature of the ceremony, for [...] they once more began to make their airy circuits above the place [...]
Usage notes
* The use of this term for animals other than birds is dated.Synonyms
* See alsomercenary
English
(wikipedia mercenary)Adjective
(en adjective)- For God forbid I should my papers blot / With mercenary lines, with servile pen.
