foreign legion

listen to the pronunciation of foreign legion
English - Turkish
Yabancı Lejyon
English - English
a military unit composed of foreign volunteers who serve the state
military organization consisting of volunteers from other countries
A unit of a nation's army consisting primarily of foreign volunteers, often tasked with fighting wars in colonies. a part of the French army that is made up of volunteers (=men who chose to join) , most of whom are not French. In the past, the Foreign Legion were used to protect French colonies in North Africa. French Légion Étrangère. French military corps consisting originally of foreigners but now including many Frenchmen. It was founded in 1831 as a highly disciplined professional army to help control French colonies in Africa. Since its founding, it has been in almost continuous combat; its forces have fought or been stationed in such places as Europe, the Crimea, Mexico, Syria, and Indochina. The new volunteer swears to serve not France but the legion; after serving one enlistment (five years) with good conduct, foreign-born soldiers are eligible for French citizenship. Since it keeps a volunteer's past secret, it has been romanticized as a haven for those seeking new identities, including criminals, but most legionnaires are professional soldiers who enjoy combat. Originally headquartered in Algeria, the legion moved its headquarters to France after Algerian independence

Related Terms

french foreign legion
a former foreign legion in the French army that was used for military duties outside of France
foreign legion

    Hyphenation

    for·eign le·gion

    Turkish pronunciation

    fôrın licın

    Pronunciation

    /ˈfôrən ˈlēʤən/ /ˈfɔːrən ˈliːʤən/
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