- a gift by will, esp of money or personal property
- something handed down or received from an ancestor or predecessor
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
leg•a•cy /ˈlɛgəsi/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -cies.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Law(in a will) a gift of money or other personal property to someone.
- anything handed down from the past, as if from an ancestor:left a legacy of debt.
leg•a•cy
(leg′ə sē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -cies.
adj.
legacy, +n.
adj.
- Lawa gift of property, esp. personal property, as money, by will;
a bequest. - anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor:the legacy of ancient Rome.
- an applicant to or student at a school that was attended by his or her parent.
- [Obs.]the office, function, or commission of a legate.
adj.
- Computingof or pertaining to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.
- Medieval Latin lēgātia. See legate, -acy
- Middle English legacie office of a deputy or legate 1325–75
- 1. 2. inheritance.
legacy, +n.
- an applicant to or student at a school that was attended by a parent of the applicant.
adj.
- Computingof or pertaining to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
legacy /ˈlɛɡəsɪ/ n ( pl -cies)
'legacy' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
dangle
- foundation
- legatee
- -acy
- adeem
- ademption
- attach
- bequest
- donor
- gift
- inheritance
- in terrorem clause
- lapse
- lease
- plum
- predispose
- spend