Legion

How to spell legion

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce legion

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does legion mean?

1. nounA vast number of people or things, or a large military unit.
2. adjectiveGreat in number; very many (used after the noun it describes).

Legion in a sentence

• noun

  A whole legion of volunteers turned up to clear the flooded streets.

• adjective

  The reasons for the delay were legion, ranging from weather to staffing.

• noun

  The ancient Roman legion marched for weeks before reaching the frontier.

• adjective

  Complaints about the new parking rules were legion within days.

Where does legion come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word goes back to the Latin legio, meaning a body of soldiers levied for war, which was built on the verb legere, literally 'to choose' or 'to gather'. The original idea was that a legion was a chosen and gathered force, since Roman troops were levied (picked out) from the citizenry. A full Roman legion numbered several thousand men, so the word naturally came to suggest a great multitude as well as a specific military unit. English took it through Old French legion in the 1200s, and the same legere root also feeds words like 'collect', 'select', and 'elect', all carrying the sense of choosing or gathering. The spelling keeps the Latin gi pronounced as a soft 'j', which is the small trap for writers who expect a 'g' sound.

How the word is built

• leg- (from legere: to choose, gather, levy)
• -ion (noun suffix)