legacy
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.money or property that someone leaves to you when they die.
n.a gift of property or money bequeathed to an individual or organisation through a will.
Simple“She used the legacy from her grandfather to pay for her university tuition.”
In context“The university received a substantial legacy from a former professor, which was immediately allocated to the new research wing.”
UsageOften used with the verb 'leave' or 'receive'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something that exists today because of what happened in the past.
n.the long-term consequences or cultural impact of a person, event, or period.
Simple“The Olympic Games left a positive legacy of new sports facilities for the city.”
In context“Historians continue to debate the complex legacy of the colonial era and its influence on modern international relations.”
Teacher's tipThis is the most common figurative use, often discussing the 'legacy of war' or a 'political legacy'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a student who gets special treatment at a university because their parents went there.
n.an applicant to a college or university who is given preference because an ancestor is an alumnus.
Simple“He was considered a legacy at Harvard because both his father and grandfather had graduated from there.”
In context“The admissions board faced criticism for its policy of favouring legacies over applicants from underprivileged backgrounds.”
UsageUsually functions as a countable noun referring to the person.
Teacher's tipThis is a specific cultural term in the United States; it is rarely used in this sense in the UK or elsewhere.
- 04 C1 Advanced
adj.describes old software or equipment that is still being used even though better versions exist.
adj.referring to outdated computer systems, software, or hardware that remain in use because they are difficult or expensive to replace.
Simple“The bank is struggling to update its legacy systems to work with modern mobile apps.”
In context“The transition to the cloud was delayed by the need to maintain compatibility with several legacy applications that the company still relied on.”
UsageAlways used before a noun.
Teacher's tipIn business and IT, this often has a negative connotation of being slow or incompatible.
Usage legacy media
“The Department for Health added that where "legacy technologies" were still being used, any patient information should be "handled securely and in line with data protection requirements".”
“It gives Smith a chance to “focus on the realities of situations and hope for a better future”, they say, more than focusing on their own legacy.”
From Middle English legacie, from Old French legacie and Medieval Latin lēgātia, from Latin lēgātum.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.