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Legacy

n. hopeful, thoughtful warm

What it means

An influence, achievement, or benefit that continues after its originator is gone.

Reach for it when describing what a life, decision, or project leaves for others

The engineer's legacy survives in the safe wells she taught villages to maintain.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom. Tap a word to see when it fits.
everyday
warm
professional
formal
literary

  • everyday

    example

    Fits when later people can model their conduct on the person

    Careful An example may inspire without producing a broader lasting result.

  • everyday

    inheritance

    Fits when property or qualities are directly passed to successors

    Careful Inheritance can be private and material, while legacy often concerns public influence.

  • warm

    contribution

    Fits when the focus is what someone added during their lifetime

    Careful Contribution does not say the benefit continued afterward.

  • professional

    endowment

    Fits when invested resources permanently support an institution

    Careful Endowment names a funding mechanism, not the full influence left behind.

  • professional

    impact

    Fits when measurable effects matter without implying long duration

    Careful Impact can fade quickly and may be harmful.

  • formal

    bequest

    Fits when property or money is left through a will

    Careful Bequest is legally specific and excludes most cultural legacies.

  • formal

    heritage

    Fits when a community receives traditions or culture from earlier generations

    Careful Heritage is collective and inherited; legacy can come from one recent action.

  • literary

    imprint

    Fits when a distinctive personal influence remains visible

    Careful Imprint suggests a trace, not necessarily a substantial benefit.

Opposites 3

  • erasure
  • oblivion
  • harm

Common phrases 3

  • lasting legacy

    The neighborhood clinic became her lasting legacy.

  • leave a legacy

    They hoped to leave a legacy of cleaner rivers and stronger local skills.

  • cultural legacy

    The festival preserves the island's cultural legacy through music.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, California accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated