legacy

American  

[leg-uh-see] / ˈlɛg ə si /

noun

plural

legacies

1. Law. a gift of property, especially personal property, such as money, by will; a bequest.

   Synonyms:

   inheritance

2. anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor.

   the legacy of ancient Rome.

   Synonyms:

   inheritance

3. an applicant to or student at the alma mater of their parent or parents.

   As a legacy, he worried that professors would expect him to be less qualified than his peers.

4. Obsolete. the office, function, or commission of a legate.

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adjective

1. of or relating to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.

   Legacy systems put you at greater risk of cyberattacks.

2. of or relating to an existing system, process, or state of affairs inherited from the past and typically a burden.

   legacy pollutants;

   a legacy drainage system.

3. being or relating to a university applicant or student whose parent or other close relative attended the same school.

   The admissions policies of most Ivy League schools favor legacy applicants.

legacy British  

/ ˈlɛɡəsɪ /

noun

1. a gift by will, esp of money or personal property

2. something handed down or received from an ancestor or predecessor

3. (modifier) surviving computer systems, hardware, or software

   legacy network

   legacy application

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Etymology

Origin of legacy

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English legacie “office of a deputy or legate,” from Medieval Latin lēgātia, from Latin lēgāt(us) “deputy” ( legate ) + -ia, noun suffix ( -acy )

Example Sentences

Sandher-Jones added Jack's legacy would be the introduction of changes needed to service life.

From BBC

German politicians have been largely supportive of Israel as Germany seeks to atone for the legacy of the Holocaust.

From Barron's

What will be the legacy of the U.S.’s involvement in Syria?

From The Wall Street Journal

Intel has long dominated the server chip market, Windsor said, while Arm-based chips “have often floundered” due to incompatibility with legacy software systems in data centers.

From MarketWatch

“Her work confronts the social and cultural legacies of the American West with rich details of the immigrant experience.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• estate
• gift
• tradition