legacy

[leg-uh-see]

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of or relating to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.

Origin of legacy

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

Synonyms for legacy

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1, 2. inheritance.

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

Related Words for legacy

tradition, gift, estate, birthright, heirloom, devise, endowment, bequest, throwback

Examples from the Web for legacy

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples of legacy

He came more and more to feel that Raby was a legacy left by Hetty to him.
Hetty's Strange History
Anonymous
The cheque was returned, the legacy refused, the writer being in no need of money.
Howards End
E. M. Forster
He had had several talks with Bradley and with her about her legacy from Judge Knowles.
Fair Harbor
Joseph Crosby Lincoln
He told of the lawyer's letter, omitting for the present the news of the legacy.
Cap'n Dan's Daughter
Joseph C. Lincoln
And then, in this December of the year 1910, fell as from a clear sky the legacy of a grandson.
The Portygee
Joseph Crosby Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for legacy

legacy

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

Word Origin and History for legacy

late 14c., "body of persons sent on a mission," from Old French legatie "legate's office," from Medieval Latin legatia, from Latin legatus "ambassador, envoy," noun use of past participle of legare "appoint by a last will, send as a legate" (see legate). Sense of "property left by will" appeared in Scottish mid-15c.