English

Noun

hireling ‎(plural hirelings)

1. (usually pejorative) an employee who is hired, often to perform unpleasant tasks with little independence
   • 1848: William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair

     When my poor James was in the smallpox, did I allow any hireling to nurse him?

2. (usually pejorative) someone who does a job purely for money, rather than out of interest in the work itself
   • 1605: Francis Bacon, The Advancement of Learning

     ... it may be truly affirmed that no kind of men love business for itself but those that are learned; for other persons love it for profit, as a hireling that loves the work for the wages;

Synonyms

• flunky
• lackey
• mercenary

Translations