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
Before his death, Rodin bequeathed all his works and possessions to France.
—
Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The former estate was bequeathed to the Swiss state in 1973, according to the Geneva government.
—Arkansas Online, 11 May 2025
For more than two centuries, the good fathers have carved the Commonwealth into 120 counties, stripping the land bare and bequeathing it to white boys with sinister grins and dwindling resources.
—Jonathon Sturgeon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
The ascent of Benson Boone, with his mustache and his backflips, suggests that Jackman may yet find inheritors to carry on the tradition he himself was bequeathed by Diamond and the rest.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bequeath
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The former estate was bequeathed to the Swiss state in 1973, according to the Geneva government.
—Arkansas Online, 11 May 2025
For more than two centuries, the good fathers have carved the Commonwealth into 120 counties, stripping the land bare and bequeathing it to white boys with sinister grins and dwindling resources.
—Jonathon Sturgeon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
The ascent of Benson Boone, with his mustache and his backflips, suggests that Jackman may yet find inheritors to carry on the tradition he himself was bequeathed by Diamond and the rest.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bequeath
Cite this Entry
“Bequeath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bequeath. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share