bequeath

verb

be·​queath bi-ˈkwēth 

-ˈkwēt͟h,

bē- 

bequeathed; bequeathing; bequeaths

transitive verb

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

bequeathal

bi-ˈkwē-thəl 

-t͟həl

bē-

noun

Synonyms

• leave
• will

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

The first competitive Oscar ever awarded to a Black person, the best supporting actress Oscar that Hattie McDaniel won for her performance in Gone With the Wind in 1940, went missing from Howard University (to which McDaniel bequeathed it after her death in 1952) sometime in the late 1960s. —Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2023

And now, within a month of each other, the streaming gods have bequeathed us a pair of docuseries about the same online dating cult, Amazon’s Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Twin Flames Universe and Netflix’s new three-part Escaping Twin Flames. —Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2023

Some landowners are bequeathing their properties to their localities. —Madison Rudolf, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2023

Not counting their blues covers record from 2016, the last time the Rolling Stones bequeathed us with an album of fresh material was during George W. Bush’s presidency. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2023

Upon her death in 1952, McDaniel bequeathed her award – which was a plaque as opposed to a statuette, customary for supporting actor awards given in the late ’30s and early ‘40s – to Howard University. —Dan Heching, CNN, 26 Sep. 2023

Upon her death in 1952, the actress bequeathed her Oscar to Howard University, and the award was displayed in the school's drama department up until the late 1960s, according to the academy. —Gina Martinez, CBS News, 26 Sep. 2023

Under current rules, a capital asset bequeathed to an heir is revalued to its price at the time of the original owner’s death, extinguishing all tax liability incurred up to that point, forever. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2023

By instead bequeathing assets upon your death, this may be more favorable for the recipient tax-wise. —Anna-Louise Jackson, wsj.com, 30 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bequeath

verb

be·​queath bi-ˈkwēth  -ˈkwēt͟h 

1

: to give or leave property by a will

2

: hand down sense 1

traditions bequeathed by our ancestors

bequeathal

-əl 

noun

Legal Definition

bequeath

transitive verb

be·​queath bi-ˈkwēth, -ˈkwēt͟h 

: to give by will

—used especially of personal property but sometimes of real property see also legacy, legatee compare devise

Etymology

Old English becwethan to speak to, address, leave by will, from be- to, about + cwethan to say