Sentence:  If a <WSD>mercenary</WSD> died, that was one fewer man to pay. <WSD>Mercenaries</WSD> were an efficient way to run a military campaign especially in view of the employer's ability to hire and fire when and if the situation demanded 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose primary motivation is private gain.