LEGACY | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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English (US)

Meaning of legacy in English

legacy
noun [ C ]
us
/ˈleɡ.ə.si/ uk
/ˈleɡ.ə.si/
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C2
money or property that you receive from someone after they die:
An elderly cousin had left her a small legacy.
C2
something that is a part of your history or that remains from an earlier time:
The Greeks have a rich legacy of literature.
The war has left a legacy of hatred.
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SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Inheriting & bequeathing
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(Definition of legacy from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

legacy | Intermediate English

legacy
noun [ C ]
us
/ˈleɡ·ə·si/
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something that is a result of events in the past:
the bitter legacy of a civil war
A legacy is also money or property left to a person by someone who has died.
(Definition of legacy from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

legacy | Business English

legacy
noun [ C ]
uk
/ˈleɡəsi/ us
plural legacies
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a situation that has developed as a result of past actions and decisions:
legacy of sth The policies of the last ten years are responsible for the legacy of huge consumer debt.
The President's greatest legacy was the message he always gave that humans can improve their lives if they try.
The success of the Olympic Games left a lasting legacy of benefit to the city.
LAW
money or property that a person or organization receives from someone who has died:
Many people want to leave a legacy to a charity they have supported all their lives.
See also
demonstrative legacy
general legacy
residuary legacy
legacy
adjective [ before noun ]
uk
/ˈleɡəsi/ us
a legacy product or system is one that is no longer available to buy or no longer used very often, but that is still used by some people or companies:
legacy computer/information systems
(Definition of legacy from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of legacy

legacy
This show has a proud legacy to live up to.
From WIRED
That sort of legacy is going to take hold here.
From New York Post
It's something that you have control over; you manage the legacy.
From CNBC
It's wonderful to see how much my father's legacy has grown.
From NPR
Perhaps we should refer to the legacy model as the "build more, do more, bill more" model.
From TechCrunch
Do you think that is a good legacy?
From TIME
They each had their own schools and even their own television stations, a legacy which remains even today despite the "depillarization" and secularization of society.
From Huffington Post
But the longing and legacy were still there, underneath it all.
From The Atlantic
Such legacy costs were a significant burden on the company.
From Huffington Post
What do you think of the legacy debate?
From Huffington Post
His name and legacy are even found in schoolbooks.
From Huffington Post
Every politician wants a legacy -- an issue or institution that evolves far beyond the official's time in public office.
From Baltimore Sun
And he wanted to try to regain his legacy that he thought he had lost.
From NPR
What is my legacy in writing the history of the present?
From CNN
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with legacy

legacy

These are words often used in combination with legacy.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

architectural legacy
They belong to the community; they are part of our architectural legacy and are our great spiritual heritage.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
artistic legacy
Every generation inherits an artistic legacy, and it is the duty of each generation to add to that legacy, not just to live off it.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
bitter legacy
In large part these negotiations failed because of the bitter legacy of 1933.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
See all collocations with legacy
What is the pronunciation of legacy?
 

Translations of legacy

in Chinese (Traditional)
遺産，遺贈, 歷史遺産，遺留物…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
遗产，遗赠, 历史遗产，遗留物…
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in Spanish
legado, legado [masculine, singular]…
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in Portuguese
herança, legado, legado [masculine]…
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in more languages
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in Telugu
in Bengali
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in Polish
वडिलोपार्जित संपत्ती, एखाद्याच्या मृत्यूनंतर मिळणारी त्याची संपत्ती किंवा मालमत्ता, वारसा…
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geçmişin kalıtı, arta kalan şey, miras…
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héritage [masculine], héritage…
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遺産（いさん）…
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erfenis…
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ஒருவர் இறந்த பிறகு அவர்களிடமிருந்து நீங்கள் பெறும் பணம் அல்லது சொத்து, உங்கள் வரலாற்றின் ஒரு பகுதியாக இருக்கும் அல்லது முந்தைய காலத்திலிருந்து எஞ்சியிருக்கும் ஒன்று…
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(मृतक द्वारा छोड़ी गयी धन राशी या संपत्ति) धन-संपदा, वसीयत, धरोहर…
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વારસામાં મળેલી સંપતિ, વારસો…
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arv…
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arv, testamentarisk gåva…
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harta pusaka…
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das Vermächtnis…
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arv [masculine], arv…
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وراثت, ورثہ…
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спадщина…
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наследие, наследство…
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ఎవరైనా చనిపోయిన తర్వాత వారి నుండి మీరు పొందే డబ్బు లేదా ఆస్తి, మీ చరిత్రలో భాగమైనది లేదా మునుపటి కాలం నుండి మిగిలిపోయినది ఏదైనా…
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উত্তরাধিকার, পূর্বপুরুষদের কাছ থেকে পুরুষানুক্রমে পাওয়া…
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odkaz…
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warisan…
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มรดก…
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tài sản thừa kế…
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spuścizna, dziedzictwo, spadek…
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