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 time—
William Broyles Jr.
William 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
The actress' latest project is Clean Slate, a comedy co-starring comedy legend George Wallace about a trans daughter and cis father learning how to navigate the former's transition.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
The stadium tour, which includes Joel often pairing with fellow legends Stevie Nicks, Sting or Rod Stewart, was slated to start March 15 in Toronto.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 11 Mar. 2025
Jim Scott, a producer with four decades of experience, has worked with rock legends ranging from Tom Petty (on his Wildflowers album) to the Foo Fighters and the Chicks, earning a total of seven Grammys throughout his career.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2025
According to a local legend, the masks and black faces with soot helped to scare away the Turks in the 16th century.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legend
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Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
The stadium tour, which includes Joel often pairing with fellow legends Stevie Nicks, Sting or Rod Stewart, was slated to start March 15 in Toronto.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 11 Mar. 2025
Jim Scott, a producer with four decades of experience, has worked with rock legends ranging from Tom Petty (on his Wildflowers album) to the Foo Fighters and the Chicks, earning a total of seven Grammys throughout his career.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2025
According to a local legend, the masks and black faces with soot helped to scare away the Turks in the 16th century.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legend
Cite this Entry
“Legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legend. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
legend
noun
leg·end
ˈlej-ənd 
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
b
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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