legion

[lee-juhn]

noun

1. a division of the Roman army, usually comprising 3000 to 6000 soldiers.

2. a military or semimilitary unit.

3. the Legion.

   1. American Legion.

   2. foreign legion.

4. any large group of armed men.

5. any great number of persons or things; multitude.

   Synonyms: sea, host, mass, throng

adjective

1. very great in number.

   The holy man's faithful followers were legion.

legion

/ ˈliːdʒən /

noun

1. a military unit of the ancient Roman army made up of infantry with supporting cavalry, numbering some three to six thousand men

2. any large military force

   the French Foreign Legion

3. (usually capital) an association of ex-servicemen

   the British Legion

4. (often plural) any very large number, esp of people

adjective

1. (usually postpositive) very large or numerous

Word History and Origins

Origin of legion¹

1175–1225; Middle English legi ( o ) un (< Old French ) < Latin legiōn- (stem of legiō ) picked body of soldiers, equivalent to leg ( ere ) to gather, choose, read + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of legion¹

C13: from Old French, from Latin legio, from legere to choose

Example Sentences

They still have way more MPs than the Liberal Democrats, or the SNP, and legions more than Reform or the Greens.

From BBC

"He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility and joy - and a legion of admirers across generations," Yorkshire said.

From BBC

But he acted out that premise at scale with impressive velocity and single-minded genius, attracting millions of dollars in backing and legions of followers.

From Salon

He is also recognisable to legions of younger fans as Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

From BBC

How will Kirk’s many conservative fans — including legions of young people — respond?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• army 
• flock 
• horde 
• multitude 
• throng 

When To Use

What is a legion?

A legion is a large group of people or things, most commonly soldiers, as in World-famous author Stephen King has a legion of fans. Legion can also describe a very large number, as in The number of soccer fans around the world is legion.During the Roman Empire, legion referred to a division of the army that numbered between 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers. As a result, we use legion to refer to a large number of soldiers. However, legion is now used more generally to mean any big group of people or things.Example: The city was filled with legions of fans after the rock star announced they would perform a concert there.