bequeath

verb be·queath \ bi-ˈkwēth , -ˈkwēt͟h , bē- \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

transitive verb

1 : to give or leave by will (see ²will 1) —used especially of personal property

a ring bequeathed to her by her grandmother

2 : to hand down : transmit

lessons bequeathed to future generations

—

bequeathal

play \-ˈkwē-thəl, -t͟həl\ noun

See bequeath defined for English-language learners

See bequeath defined for kids

Examples of bequeath in a Sentence

He bequeathed his paintings to the museum.
Lessons of the past are bequeathed to future generations.

Recent Examples of bequeath from the Web

The starting job was then bequeathed to Keith Kincaid, the emoji-tweeting, Chipotle-eating backup who shepherded the Devils into the Stanley Cup playoffs as the second Eastern Conference wild card.

— alex prewitt, SI.com, "Playoffs Are About Redemption for Longtime Starters Cory Schneider and Braden Holtby," 18 Apr. 2018
Perlman, who died in 1975, bequeathed the bracelet to the Jewish Museum, along with a number of works of art made by other Theresienstadt inmates, both professional artists and amateurs.

— jane levere, Smithsonian, "This Remarkable Charm Bracelet Chronicles a Life Inside a Concentration Camp," 16 Apr. 2018
Margaret, however, forms an unlikely friendship with the ailing Ruth Wilcox (Julia Ormond), who unbeknownst to her -- and to the horror of Ruth's family -- bequeaths to Margaret her idyllic country home, Howards End.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'Howards End' expands novel into splendid Starz miniseries," 6 Apr. 2018
Some mutations were probably carried and bequeathed by one parent only.

— melissa healy, latimes.com, "Alien mystery solved: Tiny skeleton belonged to a human girl with rare genetic defects," 22 Mar. 2018
Prime Minister Lee says he was bequeathed the property by his father and sold it to his younger brother, donating the proceeds to charity.

— Bloomberg.com, "How a House Provoked a Feud in Singapore's Lee Family," 2 Apr. 2018
The will bequeathed half of the company to Donatella's daughter, Allegra, who was 11 at the time.

— molly young, GQ, "The Excessive Vision of Donatella Versace," 20 Mar. 2018
The biggest stars of the ’40s and ’50s bequeathed their sound to rockers: Hank Williams begat Bob Dylan; Roy Acuff signed Roy Orbison; Jerry Lee Lewis inspired Elton John.

— jack dickey, SI.com, "How Charley Pride Went From Negro League Ballplayer to Country Music's Jackie Robinson," 21 Mar. 2018
Obama bequeathed on his successor an almost ritualistic response to gun tragedies, beginning with the 2011 attack on then-Rep.

— jenna johnson, Washington Post, "Obama ran out of words on mass shootings. Trump has struggled to find them.," 15 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bequeath.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bequeath

Middle English bequethen, from Old English becwethan, from be- + cwethan to say — more at quoth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

bequeath Synonyms

Synonyms

leave, will;

Related Words

deed;

hand down, hand on, pass (down);

devise;

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

BEQUEATH Defined for English Language Learners

bequeath

verb

: to say in a will that (your property) will be given to (a person or organization) after you die
: to give (ideas, knowledge, etc.) to (younger people) as part of their history