legacy

The lasting effect someone or something has after they are gone or finished.

• Her legacy is better schools.
• The war left a painful legacy.
• What will future generations consider his greatest legacy?

How to use it: legacy of someone/something (The health crisis left a legacy of public distrust.)

Common phrases: lasting legacy, leave a legacy, legacy of someone

Something passed on from earlier people or times, such as property, traditions, or problems.

• These songs are part of our family legacy.
• The old buildings are a legacy of the city’s wealthy past.
• Later generations inherited a rich cultural legacy.

How to use it: legacy of something (The festival is a legacy of the town’s trading history.)

Similar words: heritage, inheritance

Common phrases: cultural legacy, legacy of something, family legacy, legacy of history

Money or property someone receives because a person who has died left it to them.

• He received a legacy from his aunt.
• Her will left a generous legacy to the charity.
• They used the legacy to buy a home.

How to use it: legacy from someone (She received a small legacy from her uncle.); legacy to someone/something (The will included a legacy to the hospital.)

Similar words: inheritance, bequest

Common phrases: leave a legacy, receive a legacy, legacy to someone