1. people hired to do work, especially those regarded as lacking loyalty or integrity; mercenaries or employees motivated only by pay
Usage: plural form of hireling; often carries a negative or derogatory connotation; formal or literary register

Examples

• The general dismissed his soldiers as mere hirelings with no true commitment to the cause.
• The company relied on hirelings rather than building a dedicated team.
• Critics accused the politicians of surrounding themselves with hirelings who would do anything for a paycheck.
• Medieval lords often employed hirelings to guard their castles.
• She refused to be just another hireling in someone else's business venture.
• The hirelings abandoned their posts when the battle turned against them.