legion

1 of 2

noun

le·​gion ˈlē-jən How to pronounce legion (audio)
Synonyms of legion
1
: the principal unit of the Roman army comprising 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry
Caesar and his legions defeated the Gauls.
2
: a large military force
especially : army sense 1a
the French Foreign Legion
3
: a very large number : multitude
… won him … a legion of devoted followers.—Irving Kolodin
4
: a national association of ex-servicemen
the American Legion

legion

2 of 2

adjective

: many, numerous
the problems are legion

Synonyms of legion

Relevance

Noun

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of legion in a Sentence

Noun Legions of people came to see him perform. joined the French Foreign Legion Adjective the obstacles that the programmers had to overcome have been legion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
So to Dolly, from that 6-year-old Kentucky boy attending his first concert, and your legions of fans in every corner of the world, a heartfelt thank you for the music and a lifetime of memories. — Michael Collins, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Curry, who died Tuesday at 80, made a gleefully evil turn as a clown that sparked nightmares for legions of Gen X and millennial viewers that continue to haunt to this day. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The national averages, however, risk masking the legions in restrictive states still not accessing care. — David N. Hackney, STAT, 26 Aug. 2026 Then, a legion of supporters flocks to the comment section of the Instagram highlight for Sanchez’s latest heroics to alert Hayes or the USWNT. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for legion

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin legion-, legio, from legere to gather — more at legend

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1687, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legion was in the 13th century

Rhymes for legion

See All Rhymes for legion

Browse Nearby Words

legible
legion
legionary
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Legion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legion. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

legion

noun
le·​gion
ˈlē-jən
1
: the chief unit of the Roman army consisting of 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry
2
: army sense 1a
3
: a very large number : multitude

More from Merriam-Webster on legion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about legion

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of conscientious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All