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View synonyms for legacy

legacy

[ leg-uh-see ]

noun

, plural leg·a·cies.
  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.


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 of or relating to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems: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

/ 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 application

    legacy network



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Word History and Origins

Origin of legacy1

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 )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of legacy1

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

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Example Sentences

Unfortunately, this is more about protecting the legacy of a ‘great man.’

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.

The TVA, a federally owned and chartered electric power provider, is a New Deal legacy just like Social Security.

Reconcile is a rapper from Houston, a city with a rich hip-hop legacy.

With the midterm elections safely in the rearview mirror, Obama is on legacy patrol.

"These must be the legacy to our children," was the reply, in a grave and almost contrite tone.

Each gave to the abbé some legacy of affection to be conveyed to loved ones who were to be left behind.

Thus, should a person mentioned as legatee die before the testator, the legacy would be invalid.

The primitive church, indeed, treasured up these memories of moral heroism as her most precious legacy to after times.

He had another legacy to make over to him, a large iron case fastened with three iron locks.

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