1
: the act of giving or leaving something by will (see will entry 2 sense 1) : the act of bequeathing
established at the bequest of a local philanthropist
2
: something given or left by will or transmitted from the past : something bequeathed : legacy
made a bequest of his paintings to the museum
Examples of bequest in a Sentence
He made a bequest of his paintings to the museum.
left small bequests to all of her nieces and nephews
Recent Examples on the Web
In the past, such piecemeal bequests were customary, but there’s no guarantee that relatives will still be on good terms or even in contact years down the line.
—
Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024
The bequest is the largest cash gift from an individual in the college’s history.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
At one point, Ivo tells another patient’s wife, who’s paranoid that her dying husband will rewrite his will to leave everything to Ivo, caregivers aren’t allowed to accept bequests, legally or ethically.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024
The Marine Library Association last year requested to transfer the Jordan bequest into an endowment fund overseen by the St. Croix Valley Foundation, where the money could be invested in high-yield funds, said Jim Maher, president of the Marine Library Association.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2024
Lilly’s bequest was big enough to impress the hayseeds at the feed store, but, as the magazine’s editor, Wiman was making only sixty thousand dollars a year.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023
As a matter of policy, every bequest and gift goes straight to the endowment, and the company’s unique relationship with the Kennedy Center — which relieves its cash flow worries — allows the funds to sit and grow.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024
That makes the precise financial impact of today’s alumni revolt hard to determine in current dollars and future bequests, even as billionaires including Idan Ofer and Les Wexner have severed ties with the university during the last two months.
—Janet Lorin, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2023
None of the bequest was to be used for existing programs, nor was the Army to convert existing buildings.
—Lisa Napoli, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023
Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024
The bequest is the largest cash gift from an individual in the college’s history.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
At one point, Ivo tells another patient’s wife, who’s paranoid that her dying husband will rewrite his will to leave everything to Ivo, caregivers aren’t allowed to accept bequests, legally or ethically.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024
The Marine Library Association last year requested to transfer the Jordan bequest into an endowment fund overseen by the St. Croix Valley Foundation, where the money could be invested in high-yield funds, said Jim Maher, president of the Marine Library Association.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2024
Lilly’s bequest was big enough to impress the hayseeds at the feed store, but, as the magazine’s editor, Wiman was making only sixty thousand dollars a year.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023
As a matter of policy, every bequest and gift goes straight to the endowment, and the company’s unique relationship with the Kennedy Center — which relieves its cash flow worries — allows the funds to sit and grow.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024
That makes the precise financial impact of today’s alumni revolt hard to determine in current dollars and future bequests, even as billionaires including Idan Ofer and Les Wexner have severed ties with the university during the last two months.
—Janet Lorin, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2023
None of the bequest was to be used for existing programs, nor was the Army to convert existing buildings.
—Lisa Napoli, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bequest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bequest
Cite this Entry
“Bequest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bequest. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bequest
noun
be·quest
bi-ˈkwest 
1
: the action of bequeathing
2
: something given or left by a will
Legal Definition
bequest
noun
be·quest
bi-ˈkwest
: an act of bequeathing
also
: something bequeathed : legacy
—
demonstrative bequest
\
di-ˈmän-strə-tiv-
\
: a bequest of a particular amount of money or property to be distributed first from one source in the estate and then from other sources to the extent that the first is insufficient
—
general bequest
: a bequest that is to be distributed from the general assets of the estate and that is not a particular thing
—
specific bequest
\
spə-ˈsi-fik-
\
: a bequest of a particular item or part of an estate or that is payable only from a specified source in the estate and not from the general assets
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