leg·a·cy
nounle-gə-sē
plural leg·a·cies

Definition of LEGACY

1: a gift by will especially of money or other personal property : bequest

2: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past <the legacy of the ancient philosophers>

 

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Examples of LEGACY

1. She left us a legacy of a million dollars.
2. He left his children a legacy of love and respect.
3. The war left a legacy of pain and suffering.
4. Her artistic legacy lives on through her children.

 

Origin of LEGACY

Middle English legacie office of a legate, bequest, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, office of a legate, from Medieval Latin legatia, from Latin legatus

First Known Use: 15th century

 

Related to LEGACY

Synonyms:bequest, birthright, heritage, inheritance, patrimony

Related Words:heirloom; bestowal, gift, offering, present [+]more[-]hide

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