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 of or relating to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.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

E Zaalan’s new show “Syrian Soap” also connects drag, culture and family legacies.

From Los Angeles Times

“Today, that legacy of love and sacrifice has been reduced to ashes.”

From Los Angeles Times

By authorizing the content and direction of the documentary, Jackson takes care to preserve and even somewhat redeem Joseph’s legacy, one that other documentaries, specials and fictionalized versions of Michael’s life have characterized as abusive.

From Salon

Investors are concerned that Oracle’s legacy database business will be disrupted by AI-native competitors.

From MarketWatch

The company, for example, called the separation of the roles of broker, exchange, and custodian into different firms a “a legacy of a paper-based system” unnecessary in the tokenized universe.

From Barron's

Related Words

• estate
• gift
• tradition