legacy

Plural: legacies

Noun

• Something inherited from a predecessor or from the past.
• (law) a gift of personal property by will
• Money or property bequeathed to someone in a will.
• Something inherited from a predecessor or the past.
• The descendant of an alumnus, given preference in academic admissions.

Adj

• Left over from the past; old and no longer current.

Examples

• Because she was a legacy, her mother's sorority rushed her.
• Her Scrabble legacy was built on consistently finding triple word scores with short, unusual words.
• John Muir left as his legacy an enduring spirit of respect for the environment.

Synonyms

bequest, heritage