soldier of fortune
Americannoun
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a person who independently seeks pleasure, wealth, etc., through adventurous exploits.
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a military adventurer, ready to serve anywhere for pay or for pleasure.
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Etymology
Origin of soldier of fortune
First recorded in 1655–65
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 tyrants who ruled Greek Sicilian cities in the Hellenic Age recruited soldiers of fortune for territorial expansion, and in some cases because those rulers were wildly unpopular with their citizenry and required bodyguards.
From New York Times
It called the men “soldiers of fortune” and claimed that they were not protected by the Geneva Conventions.
From New York Times
He referred to them as “soldiers of fortune” and suggested they would not qualify for protections afforded to prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions.
From Washington Post
Fighters: The Kremlin says two captured American fighters are “soldiers of fortune” not protected by the rules of war.
From New York Times
Not old friends, but a soldier of fortune and an Australian journalist.
From New York Times
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.
