Rapacious vs Mercenary - What's the difference?
Rapacious is a related term of mercenary. As adjectives the difference between rapacious and mercenary is that rapacious is voracious; avaricious while mercenary is motivated by private gain. As a noun mercenary is a person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose prime or sole motivation is private gain.
rapacious
English
Adjective
(en adjective )
Voracious; avaricious.
* 1787 , :
- To presume a want of motives for such contests [of power between states] as an argument against their existence, would be to forget that men are ambitious, vindictive, and rapacious .
Given to taking by force or plundering; aggressively greedy.
* 1910 , :
- A Prince […] sooner becomes hated by being rapacious and by interfering with the property and with the women of his subjects, than in any other way.
Subsisting off live prey.
* 1827 , :
- Even the rapacious birds appeared to comprehend the nature of the ceremony, for […] they once more began to make their airy circuits above the place […]
Usage notes
* The use of this term for animals other than birds is dated.
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mercenary
Adjective
(en adjective )
Motivated by private gain.
* Dryden
- For God forbid I should my papers blot / With mercenary lines, with servile pen.
Synonyms
* (motivated by private gain) greedy, venal
Noun
(mercenaries)
A person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose prime or sole motivation is private gain.
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