bequeathed; bequeathing; bequeaths
1
: to give or leave by will (see will entry 2 sense 1)
—used especially of personal property
a ring bequeathed to her by her grandmother
2
: to hand down : transmit
lessons bequeathed to future generations
Examples of bequeath in a Sentence
He bequeathed his paintings to the museum.
Lessons of the past are bequeathed to future generations.
Recent Examples on the Web
When Greville died, the earrings were bequeathed to the Queen Mother, who then, along with her husband King George VI, gave Princess Elizabeth the pair of earrings for her wedding day.
—
Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
When Greville died, the earrings were part of an extraordinary collection of jewels that were bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
—Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 22 Feb. 2026
Complicating matters further, Charles has bequeathed his school to his frenemy Magneto.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Jan. 2026
Given to Princess Mary as a wedding gift by the County of Lincoln, it was later bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bequeath
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Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
When Greville died, the earrings were part of an extraordinary collection of jewels that were bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
—Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 22 Feb. 2026
Complicating matters further, Charles has bequeathed his school to his frenemy Magneto.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Jan. 2026
Given to Princess Mary as a wedding gift by the County of Lincoln, it was later bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bequeath
Cite this Entry
“Bequeath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bequeath. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
: to give or leave property by a will
2
: hand down sense 1
traditions bequeathed by our ancestors
Legal Definition
bequeath
transitive verb
be·queath
bi-ˈkwēth, -ˈkwēt͟h 
Etymology
Old English becwethan to speak to, address, leave by will, from be- to, about + cwethan to say
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