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 of or relating to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.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

Many on the Street have questioned Strategy’s ability to service its preferred dividends and debt interest costs, seeing as its Bitcoin holdings generate no income and its legacy software business yields little free cash.

From Barron's

"He will always be in our hearts and eternally missed. We take comfort knowing that his legacy will live on forever."

From BBC

That strength is showing up both in legacy markets and brand-new ones.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Imran will be profoundly missed, but his legacy will remain with us always," said his family in a statement issued by England Hockey.

From BBC

“The play was overload left and it was wide open. We’re proud to add to the school legacy — we hadn’t won City in a long time.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• estate
• gift
• tradition