legend
Americannoun
-
legends
plural
-
a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.
- Antonyms:
- fact
-
the body of stories of this kind, especially as they relate to a particular people, group, or clan.
the winning of the West in American legend.
-
an inscription, especially on a coat of arms, on a monument, under a picture, or the like.
-
a table on a map, chart, or the like, listing and explaining the symbols used.
-
Numismatics. inscription.
-
a collection of stories about an admirable person.
-
a person who is the center of such stories.
She became a legend in her own lifetime.
-
Archaic. a story of the life of a saint, especially one stressing the miraculous or unrecorded deeds of the saint.
-
Obsolete. a collection of such stories or stories like them.
noun
-
a popular story handed down from earlier times whose truth has not been ascertained
-
a group of such stories
the Arthurian legend
-
a modern story that has taken on the characteristics of a traditional legendary tale
-
a person whose fame or notoriety makes him a source of exaggerated or romanticized tales or exploits
-
an inscription or title, as on a coin or beneath a coat of arms
-
explanatory matter accompanying a table, map, chart, etc
-
-
a story of the life of a saint
-
a collection of such stories
-
Synonym Usage
Legend, fable, myth refer to fictitious stories, usually handed down by tradition (although some fables are modern). Legend, originally denoting a story concerning the life of a saint, is applied to any fictitious story, sometimes involving the supernatural, and usually concerned with a real person, place, or other subject: the legend of the Holy Grail. A fable is specifically a fictitious story (often with animals or inanimate things as speakers or actors) designed to teach a moral: a fable about industrious bees. A myth is one of a class of stories, usually concerning gods, semidivine heroes, etc., current since primitive times, the purpose of which is to attempt to explain some belief or natural phenomenon: the Greek myth about Demeter.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of legend
First recorded in 1300–50; 1900–05 legend for def. 4; Middle English legende “written account of a saint's life,” from Medieval Latin legenda literally, “(lesson) to be read,” noun use of feminine of Latin legendus, gerund of legere “to read”; so called because appointed to be read on respective saints' days
Explanation
A legend is a larger-than-life story that gets passed down from one generation to the next — like the legends of Beowulf, Robin Hood, or even Big Foot. Legend comes from the Latin legere, "to read." The Latin word was originally limited to written stories, but in English, legend lost that limitation. Often a legend lives on in the stories that people tell each other. A person can be a legend, too. Anne Frank is a legend for keeping a diary of hidden life in war time, and a less famous person, like a long-serving local teacher, can be a legend to neighborhood kids.
Vocabulary lists containing legend
Beowulf vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Reading: Informational - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Academy Awards, List 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Superagent and WME Group executive chairman Ari Emanuel’s lust for upside is the stuff of legend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
"Oh my God, you are a legend," one excited young man tells Karl.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Warren Buffett, the investing legend that turned Berkshire Hathaway into an massive conglomerate, has officially stepped aside as chairman after leaving as CEO at the beginning of the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Warren Buffett, the investing legend that turned Berkshire Hathaway into an massive conglomerate, on Friday stepped aside as chairman after leaving as CEO at the beginning of the year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
They spoke of the adder as if it were a reptile that was half legend, half nightmare.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Other aspects of the initiative include fan-friendly ticket pricing, pregame concerts for tailgaters and Bruin legends calling the team to the field before every home game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Along the way, the franchise also minted legends such as Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
He also shot portraits of Hollywood darlings like Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball, plus action shots of musical legends Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson, to name a few.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
"I spoke with Chelsea legends John Terry and Petr Cech," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
‘For this is not the first halfling that I have seen walking out of northern legends into the Southlands.’
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
