foreign legion
Americannoun
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a military unit consisting of foreign volunteers in the service of a state.
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(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.
noun
Etymology
Origin of foreign legion
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The man said he was a member of the Ukrainian Army's foreign legion and travelled to Ukraine by bus via Poland.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025
“The Ukrainians just couldn’t keep up,” said one foreign legion soldier.
From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2023
Ukraine has called on foreigners to join their resistance to Russia’s invasion, and some have answered that call, though not all have been accepted in Ukraine’s foreign legion.
From Washington Times • Jun. 11, 2022
He proposes that Ukrainians should make an earlier disclosure to those who seek to enlist in the foreign legion.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2022
This youth joins the foreign legion under Charles XII., and takes a distinguished part in several famous campaigns against the Russians and Poles.
From A Roving Commission Or, Through the Black Insurrection at Hayti by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
