legacy

[ leg-uh-see ]
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noun,plural leg·a·cies.
  1. Law. a gift of property, especially personal property, such as money, by will; a bequest.

  2. anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor: the legacy of ancient Rome.

  1. 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.

  2. 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 of or relating to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems: Legacy systems put you at greater risk of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.

  1. 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.

Origin of legacy

1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English legacie “office of a deputy or legate,” from Medieval Latin lēgātia, from Latin lēgāt(us) “deputy” (see legate) + -ia, noun suffix (cf. -acy)

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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British Dictionary definitions for legacy

legacy

/ (ˈlɛɡəsɪ) /


nounplural -cies
  1. a gift by will, esp of money or personal property

  2. something handed down or received from an ancestor or predecessor

  1. (modifier) surviving computer systems, hardware, or software: legacy network; legacy application

Origin of legacy

1
C14 (meaning: office of a legate), C15 (meaning: bequest): from Medieval Latin lēgātia commission; see legate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012