legion

C2 Topic:People & Society

US /ˈli.d͡ʒən/ UK /ˈliː.d͡ʒən/ See IPA manual

Freq #9848

Meanings

1

noun
A very large number of people or things.

The singer has a legion of devoted fans around the world.
2

adj
Very many; great in number.

The problems facing the new government were legion.
3

noun
A large unit of soldiers, especially in the ancient Roman army.

The Roman legion marched north to defend the border.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a very large number of... host multitude throng

2 adj · very many; great in number. numerous multitudinous

Word family

Forms legions

Derived forms infralegionlegionellalegionrysublegionsuperlegion

Related forms legionarylegionnaire

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

foreign legion
a military unit formed from volunteers who come from other countries

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Legion entered English in the Middle English period. For the Romans it denoted their largest army unit, which at different times comprised 3,000 to 6,000 men, or more loosely a vast number. It derives from Latin legere “to choose, to levy an army.”

Etymology

Attested (in Middle English, as legioun) around 1200, from Old French legion, from Latin legiō, legionem, from legō (“to gather, collect”); akin to legend, lecture. Doublet of León, which was borrowed from Spanish. Generalized sense of “a large number” is due to an allusive phrase in Mark 5:9, "My name is Legion, for we are many".

*h₃enh₂- Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- Proto-Indo-European legion Old French legiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# legion

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈli.d͡ʒən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈliː.d͡ʒən/
**Frequency rank:** 9848

## Meanings
1. A very large number of people or things.
2. Very many; great in number.
3. A large unit of soldiers, especially in the ancient Roman army.

## Examples
- The singer has a legion of devoted fans around the world.
- The problems facing the new government were legion.
- The Roman legion marched north to defend the border.

## Derived Forms
- infralegion
- legionella
- legionry
- sublegion
- superlegion

## Related Forms
- legionary
- legionnaire

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₃enh₂-
- Root: *leǵ-
- Root: legion
- Root: legiō

## Etymology
Attested (in Middle English, as legioun) around 1200, from Old French legion, from Latin legiō, legionem, from legō (“to gather, collect”); akin to legend, lecture. Doublet of León, which was borrowed from Spanish. Generalized sense of “a large number” is due to an allusive phrase in Mark 5:9, "My name is Legion, for we are many".

## AI Etymology
Legion attested (in Middle English, as legioun) around 1200, from Old French legion, from Latin legiō, legionem, from legō (“to gather, collect”); akin to legend, lecture. Doublet of León, which was borrowed from Spanish. Generalized sense of “a large number” is due to an allusive phrase in Mark 5:9, "My name is Legion, for we are many". Important recorded forms include *h₃enh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), *leǵ- (Proto-Indo-European), legion (Old French), and legiō (Latin). Current senses include a very large number of people or things, very many; great in number, and a large unit of soldiers, especially in the ancient Roman army. The wider family includes derived forms such as infralegion, legionella, legionry, sublegion, and superlegion and related words such as legionary and legionnaire.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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