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 There were plenty of music legends in the mix — Ryuchi Sakamoto, Robbie Robertson, Jane Birkin — along with Tina Turner, with a clip from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024 In his portrayal of the Reggae legend, British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, who is of Trinidadian descent, was able to capture Marley’s essence, from his free-spirited dance steps to his mannerisms and accent. Melissa Noel, Essence, 9 Mar. 2024 Olympian legends — including Hades and the thunder god Zeus — now rule the Island in otherworldly rage. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 So says a legend that flashes on the screen during Janet E. Dandridge’s video in which a woman, superimposed doubly to represent multitudes, cares for an infant. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The recipient of much of Belichick’s sadomasochism was Brady, who evolved from a skinny kid no one wanted to an NFL legend, perhaps the best there ever was, with a series of increasingly interesting rock-star haircuts. Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 The Grammy-winning singer and the NFL legend are set to join sports commentator Mike Tirico to host the opening ceremony, the trio revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 According to legend, the maple syrup once flowed freely and ready to eat from maple trees every late winter and early spring. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 Due to the Ducati model’s lightness paired with its 224 hp V-4 motor, one that gets boosted to an eye-watering 234 hp with the race exhaust, the Superleggera V4 gets firmly placed in the pantheon of sportbike legends. Peter Jackson, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of legend was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near legend

Cite this Entry

“Legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legend. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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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