legend

noun

ˈle-jənd How to pronounce legend (audio)
Definition of legendnext
1
as in caption
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 translation
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 myth
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 folklore
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 legend Val Kilmer's kids are sharing a statement in the wake of the Hollywood legend's Tuesday death. — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025 The walls are decorated with pictures of Charlotte high school basketball legends, from the 1980s to today. — Langston Wertz Jr., Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2025 The classism that endures to this day in the British acting world rears its ugly head here, though Philip’s effective gentrification of Richie’s voice is depicted as the making of a legend. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2025 The legend began in 1954 when restaurateur Wolfie Cohen opened the first Pumpernik’s at 6700 Collins Ave. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for legend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legend
  1. caption
  2. myth
  3. folklore
  4. key
  5. fable
  6. mythology
  7. table
  8. tradition
Noun
  • Netizens posted photos of their desire destination with the caption.
    — Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 2 Apr. 2025
  • TikTok users also posted the caption over videos of The Eras Tour, Buc-ees and Barnes & Noble, to name a few.
    — Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of caption
Noun
  • The lone creator is a myth that goes back a long time in art history.
    — Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Wielding Excalibur, the sword of myth, Gawain grows more powerful as the sun rises, reaching peak strength at midday.
    — Alan Yuhas, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of myth
Noun
  • And Butler, the volcanic personality who’s been known to generate stories worthy of folklore with his competitive spirit, didn’t produce a new tale of his greatness, scoring just 11 points.
    — Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
  • They’re feared as rabies carriers, blamed for pandemics and cast as the villains of folklore.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of folklore
Noun
  • For bettors, the key is to assess whether a team has the depth and skill for sustained success, or if recent wins are masking deeper issues.
    — Julia Ranney, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The key is to use AI to enhance strategy, not replace creativity, ensuring long-term adaptability in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of key
Noun
  • Bereft of chuckles or even a substantial story, this maudlin musical fable never escapes the drag of a lead character with supporting-player energy.
    — Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Many of our favorite stories, fables and rhymes came from the volumes of the set of Childcraft Books published in 1954 which accompany our family’s ages-old set of World Book Encyclopedias.
    — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
Definition of fable
Noun
  • Few bands have inspired such complicated or closely studied mythology.
    — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Tweaking the age-old mythology of a creature that’s graced biblical passages, Renaissance paintings and many a tween’s backpack, filmmaker Alex Scharfman’s debut does manage to rebrand the unicorn as something other than kid-friendly.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of mythology
Noun
  • It’s made from soft PU leather, fits up to four cards, and has a rotating kickstand ring to prop your phone on a table (or seatback tray).
    — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Two legal experts told the Idaho Statesman that, absent of cognitive or mental deficits, the precedent set in Atkins v. Virginia likely won’t be enough to take the death penalty off the table for Kohberger, although both didn’t discount the challenges people with autism face in the legal system.
    — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of table
Noun
  • In keeping with the tradition of the Ingenieur, a soft-iron inner case shields the movement against the effects of magnetic fields.
    — Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Those laws grew out of the state’s progressive tradition, which sought to restrain the power of wealth in the political system.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of tradition

Browse Nearby Words

legations
legend
legendary
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Cite this Entry

“Legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legend. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on legend

Nglish: Translation of legend for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about legend

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