janissary
noun
jan·is·sary
ˈja-nə-ˌser-ē 
-ˌzer-
variants
or less commonly janizary
plural janissaries also janizaries
1
often capitalized
: a soldier of an elite corps of Turkish troops organized in the 14th century and abolished in 1826
2
: a member of a group of loyal or subservient troops, officials, or supporters
Examples of janissary in a Sentence
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An international bestseller later turned into a film by Mira Nair, the book owed its success, in part, to its blunt articulation of the fear and loathing provoked by the American Empire even among many of its eager janissaries.
—
Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Süleyman sent him 2,000 janissaries, the elite of the Ottoman army.
—National Geographic, 8 Oct. 2019
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Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Süleyman sent him 2,000 janissaries, the elite of the Ottoman army.
—National Geographic, 8 Oct. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Janissary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/janissary. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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