ENGLISH
REFERENCE

legacy

n. · adj.
US //ˈɫɛɡəsi// UK //lˈɛɡəsi// lega·cy
  1. 1 money or property in a will (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

    money or property that someone leaves to you when they die.

    a gift of property or money bequeathed to an individual or organisation through a will.

    Example

    She used the legacy from her grandfather to pay for her university tuition.

    Example

    The university received a substantial legacy from a former professor, which was immediately allocated to the new research wing.

    Usage

    Often used with the verb 'leave' or 'receive'.
  2. 2 historical impact (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    something that exists today because of what happened in the past.

    the long-term consequences or cultural impact of a person, event, or period.

    Example

    The Olympic Games left a positive legacy of new sports facilities for the city.

    Example

    Historians continue to debate the complex legacy of the colonial era and its influence on modern international relations.

    Teacher's tip

    This is the most common figurative use, often discussing the 'legacy of war' or a 'political legacy'.
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  1. 3 university admission (n.)
    C1 Advanced American English Education

    a student who gets special treatment at a university because their parents went there.

    an applicant to a college or university who is given preference because an ancestor is an alumnus.

    Example

    He was considered a legacy at Harvard because both his father and grandfather had graduated from there.

    Example

    The admissions board faced criticism for its policy of favouring legacies over applicants from underprivileged backgrounds.

    Usage

    Usually functions as a countable noun referring to the person.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a specific cultural term in the United States; it is rarely used in this sense in the UK or elsewhere.

  2. 4 outdated technology (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    describes old software or equipment that is still being used even though better versions exist.

    referring to outdated computer systems, software, or hardware that remain in use because they are difficult or expensive to replace.

    Example

    The bank is struggling to update its legacy systems to work with modern mobile apps.

    Example

    The transition to the cloud was delayed by the need to maintain compatibility with several legacy applications that the company still relied on.

    Usage

    Always used before a noun.

    Teacher's tip

    In business and IT, this often has a negative connotation of being slow or incompatible.
Origin

From Middle English legacie, from Old French legacie and Medieval Latin lēgātia, from Latin lēgātum.

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