French word

légion

Pronunciation

IPA/leʒjɔ̃/

Meaning

  • feminine nounlegion

Example

La légion romaine marcha vers la ville.

The Roman legion marched toward the city.

Illustration for légion (legion)

More examples

Le groupe a une légion d'admirateurs sur les réseaux sociaux.

The group has a legion of admirers on social media.

Core concept

A disciplined body moving and acting as one, whether made of soldiers or a vast crowd.

Common phrases

  • une légion d'admirateurs

    a legion of admirers

  • la Légion étrangère

    the Foreign Legion

Similar words

armée: A large military force organized for national defense or combat.
corps: A major military formation assigned to a specific mission or region.
unité: A military unit or group functioning as a single organized whole.

Definition in French

Désigne une formation militaire organisée; peut aussi s'employer au sens figuré pour désigner un grand nombre de personnes.

Word origin

French légion comes from Classical Latin legio, genitive legionis, a term for a gathered military unit related to legere, "to gather".

Usage tips

  • Légion is feminine, so the usual forms are une légion and la légion romaine, despite its military meaning.

Other meanings

  • multitudenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word