legend

noun

leg·​end ˈle-jənd How to pronounce legend (audio)
1
a
: a story coming down from the past
especially : one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable
the legend of a lost continent
Arthurian legends
b
: a body of such stories
a place in the legend of the frontier
c
: a popular myth of recent origin
the legend of the Loch Ness monster
d
: a person or thing that inspires legends
a baseball legend
e
: the subject of a legend
its violence was legend even in its own timeWilliam Broyles Jr.
2
a
: an inscription or title on an object (such as a coin)
The quarter bore the legend "In God We Trust."
b
: caption sense 2b
The legend identifies the various parts of the illustrated anatomy.
c
: an explanatory list of the symbols on a map or chart

Examples of legend in a Sentence

I don't believe the legends I've heard about this forest. the legend of a lost continent He has become a baseball legend. The gravestone bears the legend “Rest in Peace.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The map legend now more clearly says where things like anomalies and bosses are. Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025 Billy and his sister Elizabeth continue to keep the advertising legend’s memory alive. Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 28 June 2025 Previous speakers have included NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and NFL legend Rob Gronkowski in 2023, as well as award-winning journalist Katie Couric. Nancy Kane, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025 The fact that the French club had its best performances after the departure of superstars Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé was mentioned quite a bit by fans and media during the recent Champions League tournament, which surely didn’t sit well with the Argentine legend. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for legend

Word History

Etymology

Middle English legende, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French legende, from Medieval Latin legenda, from Latin, feminine of legendus, gerundive of legere to gather, select, read; akin to Greek legein to gather, say, logos speech, word, reason

First Known Use

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of legend was circa 1500

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Cite this Entry

“Legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legend. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

legend

noun
leg·​end ˈlej-ənd How to pronounce legend (audio)
1
: a story coming down from the past whose truth is popularly accepted but cannot be checked
2
a
: writing or a title on an object
c
: an explanatory list of the symbols on a map or chart
Etymology

Middle English legende "a legend," derived from Latin legenda "something to be read," derived from earlier legere "to gather, read"

Word Origin
The Latin verb legere originally meant "to gather." In time the verb came to mean "to gather with the eye, to see," and that led to the sense "to read." From this verb came the Latin noun legenda, used in the Middle Ages to mean "a thing to be read." Legenda was used to refer in particular to stories about the lives of saints. Many such stories were written in the Middle Ages, and they often included fiction along with fact. Because of that, when legenda was borrowed into English as legend, it came to mean "a story coming down from the past which may or may not be entirely true."

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