legacy

[ leg-uh-see ]

/ ˈlɛg ə si /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR legacy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural leg·a·cies.

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

anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor: the legacy of ancient Rome.

an applicant to or student at a school that was attended by his or her parent.

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

adjective

of or relating to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.

Nearby words

leg warmer, leg-break, leg-of-mutton, leg-pull, leg., legacy, legal, legal age, legal aid, legal aid society, legal blindness

Origin of legacy

1325–75; Middle English legacie office of a deputy or legate < Medieval Latin lēgātia. See legate, -acy

SYNONYMS FOR legacy

1, 2 inheritance.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR legacy ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for legacy

Unfortunately, this is more about protecting the legacy of a ‘great man.’
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I don't know why or who's doing it, but it's the legacy…and it's a legacy that is so important to the culture.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The TVA, a federally owned and chartered electric power provider, is a New Deal legacy just like Social Security.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern|Lloyd Green|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
With the midterm elections safely in the rearview mirror, Obama is on legacy patrol.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro|Doug McIntyre|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But at 45, Branch died of a reported suicide, leaving behind family, friends and a legacy that goes beyond the beauty industry.
Goodbye To A Natural Hair Guru: Miss Jessie's Cofounder Titi Branch Dead At 45|Danielle Belton|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Aunt Ottilie was old Takma's daughter: she was sure to get a legacy too.
Old People and the Things That Pass|Louis Couperus
Jean, you must not keep this legacy which by to-morrow may have brought suspicion and dishonor on our mother.
The Works of Guy de Maupassant, Volume VIII.|Guy de Maupassant
Burlingame had said nothing about the letter from the late Michael Turley's kinsman in Montreal and the question of the legacy.
Wild Youth, Volume Complete|Gilbert Parker
Next day the news of the legacy was common property, and Aunt Tildy had been an inmate at Todd's ever since.
The Children's Book of Thanksgiving Stories|Various
To you it's probably better to be a rich slaver living off the legacy of a Degrader than a penniless humanitarian.
The Lani People|J. F. Bone

British Dictionary definitions for legacy

legacy

/ (ˈlɛɡəsɪ) /

noun plural -cies

a gift by will, esp of money or personal property

something handed down or received from an ancestor or predecessor

(modifier) surviving computer systems, hardware, or softwarelegacy network; legacy application

Word Origin for legacy

C14 (meaning: office of a legate), C15 (meaning: bequest): from Medieval Latin lēgātia commission; see legate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012