legacy
Americannoun
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legacies
plural
-
Law. a gift of property, especially personal property, such as money, by will; a bequest.
- Synonyms:
- inheritance
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anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor.
the legacy of ancient Rome.
- Synonyms:
- inheritance
-
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.
-
Obsolete. the office, function, or commission of a legate.
adjective
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of or relating to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.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.
-
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.
-
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.
noun
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a gift by will, esp of money or personal property
-
something handed down or received from an ancestor or predecessor
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(modifier) surviving computer systems, hardware, or software
legacy network
legacy application
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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” ( see legate) + -ia, noun suffix ( cf. -acy)
Explanation
Use the word, legacy, for something handed down from one generation to the next. A retiring company president might leave a legacy of honesty and integrity. Legacy comes from the Latin verb, legare "to appoint by a last will, send as an ambassador." Originally, the noun meant "ambassador" or "envoy" but soon shifted to mean the money and property a person leaves behind in his will. Many university scholarships are funded by the legacies of former students. In recent usage, political leaders are said to be concerned with their legacies, the historically significant achievements of their tenure in office.
Vocabulary lists containing legacy
Maniac Magee
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Starting Your New Life: Inspiring Words from Commencement Speeches
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a televised memorial address that his country was "united in grief and gratitude" for Harald's service and that his "legacy lives on".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
But rather than a franchise-defining legacy pick, Snead began to view him differently in this new era for the Rams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” “Coyote’s” closest analogue, had an easier job layering wacky chase scenes over its critique of Los Angeles’ potholed legacy of public transportation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
"She certainly found a way to preserve her artistic vision while also inviting people to continue to be a part of her legacy," Tallon said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Quinton wasn’t a legacy kid; he was merit.”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
One could even argue that it’s now an even more critical part of Panettiere and Trachtenberg’s legacies.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Yet many of these widows, daughters, and other female successors were also savvy political operators, leaving behind genuine legislative legacies or winning office in their own right.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
What will be the true legacies from this magical, mega tournament?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Both have won four Grand Slam titles, been top of the world rankings and built their legacies on hard courts.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
This, after all, was one of the main legacies of the Cognitive Revolution.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
