bequest

noun

be·​quest bi-ˈkwest 

bē-

1

: the act of giving or leaving something by will (see will entry 2 sense 1) : the act of bequeathing

established at the bequest of a local philanthropist

2

: something given or left by will or transmitted from the past : something bequeathed : legacy

made a bequest of his paintings to the museum

Synonyms

• birthright
• heritage
• inheritance
• legacy
• patrimony

Examples of bequest in a Sentence

He made a bequest of his paintings to the museum.

left small bequests to all of her nieces and nephews

Recent Examples on the Web

In January 2025, the U.S. Treasury issued final regulations on the taxation of gifts and bequests from covered expatriates. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025

But Lambs Farm made more than $1 million selling its products, and thanks to a significant bequest, cost-cutting and fundraising, officials expect to end the current fiscal year with a balanced budget. —Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025

Episcopal nuns aren’t underwritten by the church; the community supports itself with bequests, donations, real estate deals and a retreat ministry catering to over 2,000 visitors each year, from different faiths and interest groups. —Elisabeth Egan, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025

But the bequest, which nearly doubles the resources funding the comics archive’s conservation work, also will go well beyond the ElfQuest materials. —David Bloom, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, irregular from bequethen

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bequest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• caressed
• celeste

Kids Definition

bequest

noun

be·​quest bi-ˈkwest 

1

: the action of bequeathing

2

: something given or left by a will

Legal Definition

bequest

noun

be·​quest bi-ˈkwest 

: an act of bequeathing

also : something bequeathed : legacy

— demonstrative bequest \ di-​ˈmän-​strə-​tiv-​ \

: a bequest of a particular amount of money or property to be distributed first from one source in the estate and then from other sources to the extent that the first is insufficient

— general bequest

: a bequest that is to be distributed from the general assets of the estate and that is not a particular thing

— specific bequest \ spə-​ˈsi-​fik-​ \

: a bequest of a particular item or part of an estate or that is payable only from a specified source in the estate and not from the general assets