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In its basic meaning, a legacy is a gift of money or other personal property that's granted by the terms of a will-often a substantial gift that needs to be properly managed. But the word is used much more broadly as well. So, for instance, much of Western civilization-law, philosophy, aesthetics- could be called the undying legacy of ancient Greece. And the rights and opportunities that women enjoy today are partly the legacy of the early suffragists and feminists.

Examples of legacy in a Sentence

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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Noun

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

Adjective

from attributive use of legacy entry 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1984, in the meaning defined at sense 2

The first known use of legacy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near legacy

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More from Merriam-Webster on legacy

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

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a gift by will especially of money or other personal property : bequest; something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past... See the full definition

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Something passed down from person and person and ends up to the latest person

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Something passed down from person and person and ends up to the latest person

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Legacy is what people leave behind for generations after them.

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something others will remember

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legacy means what someone leaves behind after they have died