Origin: Latin suffix -ary
Legendary has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
A collection of legends, in particular of lives of saints.
"The monastery housed a legendary compilation detailing the miraculous lives of local saints."
In plain English: A legendary person is someone so famous and impressive that their story feels almost mythical.
"The legendary told stories about heroes and monsters by the fire at night."
so celebrated as to having taken on the nature of a legend
"the legendary exploits of the arctic trailblazers"
Of or pertaining to a legend or to legends.
"The local tavern is famous for its legendary tales of pirates who once hid treasure in the cellar."
In plain English: Legendary means something so famous and amazing that people talk about it for generations.
"The restaurant is legendary for its delicious pasta dishes."
Usage: Use legendary as an adjective meaning famous enough to be the subject of many stories rather than its rare noun form referring to saintly biographies. This word often describes people or things with such extraordinary reputations that their details seem mythical, so it is not interchangeable with simply "famous."
The word legendary comes from Medieval Latin legendarius, which originally referred to a collection of legends rather than something famous or mythical. It entered English as both a noun and an adjective during the 16th century, evolving from its earlier use for compiled stories into our modern sense of being widely known.