legends

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 When Atlanta rap legends Outkast sued a rising California rapper-producer over his stage name last month, fellow West Coast emcee Vince Staples had a three-word response. — Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026 From the settings of spooky flicks and gothic literary legends to places that take their pumpkin patches and seasonal decor quite seriously, these eight spots prove that Halloween is so much more than a single night. — Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 13 Oct. 2026 Slater has a chance to etch his name alongside TNA Wrestling legends like Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Moose and Jeff Hardy. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill, the longest-serving member of the heavy-metal legends, has announced his retirement from the band. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026 Trick Daddy and Trina are bringing Miami vibes to Grand Theft Auto VI, as the rap legends have been unveiled as hosts of one of the forthcoming title’s in-game radio stations. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Lined with portraits of tango legends on the wall, the space feels beautifully preserved. — Nikkita Nair, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 Stephanie has met White Sox legends including Robin Ventura and Frank Thomas, along with other Chicago sports icons. — CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 The club hosted musical legends including James Brown, Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legends
Noun
  • The tables were draped in salmon-pink tablecloths and ringed with bright red chairs, and each plate had a napkin folded into a swan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Three roaches were on the floor in front of the food expo station, where the cooks put food ready to head out to customer tables.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The bulk of the population actually engages in a rather high volume of daily digital reading--captions, emails, text and chat messages, news feeds, search results, etc.
    — Dana Kelley, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Titles, descriptions and other metadata for older videos and podcasts may also be revised to reflect the new terminology, while the original recordings, transcripts and captions will remain unchanged.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Ancient myths and modern cinema depict bogs as sinister locales, dangerous to cross, and fatal to get trapped in.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But in earlier myths, Al Basty was described as a hearth deity and a protector of women in childbirth.
    — Yulia Denisyuk, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • What impact did her decision to (arguably) curve Drake’s kiss attempt when presenting her the award have on both of their mythologies?
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Both of these tales were derived from the folk legends and mythologies involving witches and ghosts that were still prevalent along the Hudson Valley.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The network starts out with random weights that produce unhelpful queries, keys, and values, and thus poor translations.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Its latest annual Gboard experiment flips this dynamic on its head with moving keys that eventually roll into position right under your finger.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The neural network discovers such associations during training, by learning from huge numbers of English sentences paired with their French translations.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The late Margot Bettauer Dembo handled NYRB’s previous Seghers translations; Lucy Jones has taken over, and excellently conveys the incisive bite of the writing.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Few eras of Greek history compare to the ancient times that the country has become so synonymous with—the cinematic fables of Odysseus, comic-book lore of Leonidas, and philosophic creeds of Socrates are ever-present in pop culture.
    — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Abstract Deer Deer are the center of countless fairytales, fables, and general folklore.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 29 Aug. 2026
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.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2022

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Cite this Entry

“Legends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legends. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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