legends

Definition of legendsnext
plural of legend
1
as in tables
an explanatory list of the symbols on a map or chart the legend indicated that a large circle represented a major city, while a small circle stood for a small town

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2
as in captions
an explanation or description accompanying a pictorial illustration the legend in the science textbook indicated that the accompanying picture had been enlarged by 1000%

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3
as in myths
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature some ancient civilizations had legends about spirits that inhabited trees and rocks

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4
as in mythologies
the body of customs, beliefs, stories, and sayings associated with a people, thing, or place that story of how the world came to be has long been part of Native American legend

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of legends Marwan Hamed and Yousry Nasrallah Two legends of Egyptian cinema, filmmaker Marwan Hamed, whose works are celebrated in IFFR’s 2026 retrospective, and director Yousry Nasrallah will discuss Hamed’s biopic El Sett (IFFR 2026) as well as highlights from their filmmaking careers. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026 Stingray's clue package mentioned their mom would host parties attended by music legends like Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026 And those Hurricanes legends of the past are enjoying the ride with them every step of the way. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026 Or Bésame Mucho, a festival at Circuit of the Americas where Spanish rock legends, corridos and salsa icons like Elvis Crespo prove the city can turn chilly nights into multi-generational dance floors. Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026 Home to country legends and rising stars, the Opry today has a seating capacity of nearly 4,400, with over 30 sections. Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 1 Jan. 2026 The advisory board will consist of up to two delegates from each club, including investors, cultural leaders and sports legends. Jessica Golden, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025 As Drag Race viewers know, Plasma is a Broadway baby through and through, a Gay White Way devotee whose humor and style draws on legends like Barbra Streisand and Bernadette Peters. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2025 Japanese cinema legends Yamada Yoji and Yoshinaga Sayuri were honored with lifetime achievement awards. Mark Schilling, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legends
Noun
  • Festive Accents Holiday accents and decor, such as bowls, extra candles, and sculptural objects, can pile up on entryway tables and dining consoles during the holidays.
    Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
  • During live demonstrations, the robot performed everyday household tasks such as picking up laundry, opening appliances, and clearing tables.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Littlehands is the cookbook author’s longtime nickname for the teen and typically how the celebrity chef refers to her in Instagram captions.
    Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
  • But none of the photos had captions and was no explanation given for why any of them were together.
    Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 20 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • She is revered in those regions, and oral tradition keeps her myths alive.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
  • One year before Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire published their compendium of Greek myths, Cicellis released her second work of fiction, The Way to Colonos, which ruthlessly dramatizes the limits of individual freedom and the agony of facing one’s powerlessness.
    Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • What mattered to me is what the comet meant in Polynesian mythologies.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Evolutionary thinkers have long argued that humans evolved to notice snakes, which might explain why these creatures slither into a vast number of mythologies, from Quetzalcoatl in Mexico and Damballa in West Africa to celestial dragons in China.
    Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • At Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph, guests receive room keys that double as all-access passes to local museums and galleries through the hotel’s Unlock Art program.
    Essence, Essence, 7 Nov. 2025
  • John put the bikes onto their truck with the keys inside, and left them in the driveway of their home in Maplewood, per the outlet.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Rejecting the streamlining and modernizing approach of many recent translations, Mendelsohn artfully reproduces the epic’s formal qualities—meter, enjambment, alliteration, assonance—and in so doing restores to Homer’s masterwork its archaic grandeur.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Kasirer advocates and facilitates strategic translations between New York City’s private and public sector.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Geminis have a tendency to speak of fables to protect themselves or to make their lives seem more fulfilling.
    Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025
  • His movies — farces, fables, experiments — reside in surreal worlds of their own.
    Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The kallikantzaroi are a group of blind, black goblins who live underground during most of the year sawing at the world tree – a motif throughout various folklores that connects the heavens to the Earth.
    Carlie Procell, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Legends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legends. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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