foreign legion


noun
  1. a military unit consisting of foreign volunteers in the service of a state.

  2. (initial capital letters) a specialized military unit of the French army, consisting of volunteers of all nationalities assigned to military operations and duties outside France.

Origin of foreign legion

1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Words Nearby foreign legion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use foreign legion in a sentence

  • "I want to volunteer in the foreign legion," said Troy, feeling as if the veins of his forehead would burst.

    The Marne | Edith Wharton
  • I closed the doors, sent the porter to his place in the foreign legion, and ran to the levee to see the sights.

  • We would fight for France and wear a red cardigan in the foreign legion.

    A Tatter of Scarlet | S. R. Crockett
  • When Max had served four months in the foreign legion he felt older by four years.

    A Soldier of the Legion | C. N. Williamson
  • Nowadays the great marches of the foreign legion are not what they once were, unless for government maneuvers.

    A Soldier of the Legion | C. N. Williamson

British Dictionary definitions for foreign legion

foreign legion

noun
  1. a body of foreign volunteers serving in an army, esp that of France

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012