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 Ukrainians just couldn’t keep up,” said one foreign legion soldier.
From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2023
Taiwan has mandatory military service, which makes those who complete it eligible to join Ukraine's foreign legion.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2022
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
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government promotes its foreign legion with a brash recruiting video packed with fiery images.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2022
About the time that the French government announced its intention of withdrawing its forces from Mexico, it was found that troops were being enlisted in Austria for the Mexican "foreign legion."
From The United States and Latin America by Latane, John Holladay
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.
