bequeath

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

Definition of bequeath

transitive verb

1 :to give or leave by will (see ²will 6) —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 Alaska quake also bequeathed sharper understanding of our earthquake risk in the Northwest.

— special to the oregonian, OregonLive.com, "2 new earthquake books give a visceral glimpse of devastation (review)," 27 Aug. 2017
That is because his old jersey was bequeathed to £75m summer signing Romelu Lukaku, a player Zlatan is happy to have on board.

— SI.com, "Zlatan Ibrahimovic Explains Why He Chose to Rejoin Man Utd Over Other Interested Clubs," 24 Aug. 2017
Abel’s lawyer has estimated that Dalí’s paintings, which were bequeathed to Spain, are worth $325 million.

— julie miller, Vanities, "Salvador Dalí’s Exhumation Leads to Haunting, Fittingly Surreal Discovery," 21 July 2017
Mr. Law and activists from his Demosisto political party and other groups have targeted a giant flower sculpture bequeathed by Beijing in 1997 that is popular with mainland tourists.

— kelvin chan, The Christian Science Monitor, "After 20 years of Chinese rule, Hong Kong hype marred by pro-democracy tensions," 29 June 2017
Around two dozen protesters marched on Golden Bauhinia Square -- the site of a large gold statue of a Bauhinia flower bequeathed to the city by Beijing -- at 5:30 p.m. as crowds of bemused tourists watched.

— james griffiths, CNN, "Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong arrested ahead of Chinese leader's visit," 28 June 2017
Three years ago, Jackson bequeathed to Anthony a sea anchor of a contract, replete with a no-trade clause.

— michael powell, New York Times, "Zen Phil Is Gone, but All Is Not Lost for Knicks," 28 June 2017
Prime Minister Lee says he was bequeathed the property by his father and sold it to his younger brother, donating the unspecified proceeds to charity.

— stephanie phang, Bloomberg.com, "Singapore Lee Family Feud Goes Public on Facebook: QuickTake Q&A," 20 June 2017
Fry also bequeathed another skill even more rare among Ansel’s demographic.

— brett berk, VanityFair.com, "Ansel Elgort’s Secret Baby Driver Weapons? Grand Theft Auto and New York Traffic," 20 June 2017

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

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

Definition of bequeath for English Language Learners

: 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