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
Etymology
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.
In 2003, a soldier of fortune pursues enigmatic gambler Stanley Glass through ersatz Venetian canals of Las Vegas, only to stumble upon a curious book titled “The Mirror Thief.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2021
But unlike McGee, an Army veteran, Stroby’s hard-bitten hero was once a soldier of fortune with a more flexible code of ethics.
From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2018
Also seeking the Republican Senate nomination were self-described soldier of fortune Thomas Bleming of Lusk, oil company worker Arthur Bruce Clifton of Cheyenne and James Gregory of Jackson.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 19, 2014
Instead, we are left only with this representative Englishman who’s a boastful and obnoxious soldier of fortune.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 19, 2012
The young woman is symbolic of the Republic of Costa Rica, and the gentleman ground beneath her heel is supposed to represent the American filibuster and soldier of fortune, William Walker.
From Gentlemen Rovers by Powell, E. Alexander (Edward Alexander)
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.
