bequest

noun be·quest \ bi-ˈkwest , bē- \

|Updated on: 1 Jul 2018

Examples: bequest in a Sentence

Definition of bequest

1 : the act of giving or leaving something by will (see ²will 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

See bequest defined for English-language learners

See bequest defined for kids

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 of bequest from the Web

This exhibition explores her ideas and her friendship with collector Daniel W. Dietrich II, whose recent bequest to the museum includes four Martin paintings.

— stephan salisbury, Philly.com, "What to see in Philadelphia's museums this summer," 6 June 2018
Charities, advance directives and odds and ends For many people, especially dual-income couples with no kids who might have substantial assets to spread around, this is the moment to discuss charitable bequests.

— john schwartz, New York Times, "What It Was Like to Finally Write My Will," 3 Apr. 2018
The Tax Policy Center predicts that this will reduce the incentives for the wealthy to make charitable contributions, and could end up reducing philanthropic bequests by between 15% and 30% nationally, or roughly $4 billion.

— kathleen gray, Detroit Free Press, "Charities trying to gauge impact of federal tax reform on giving," 8 Jan. 2018
The report, published Tuesday, includes giving by individuals, corporations, bequests and foundations.

— kathleen pender, San Francisco Chronicle, "Charitable giving topped $400 billion for first time in 2017," 12 June 2018
In recent years, Harry was active in philanthropy and had established a Charitable Trust and Foundation where various entities in his hometown will share in future annual bequests, some named for his mother who taught in Barre for over 40 years.

— courant.com, "Harry James Corbett Jr.," 11 Apr. 2018
An additional bequest of $50 million to the symphony has been added to the Jacobses' will.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "Record symphony gift," 14 Jan. 2018
Thanks to the bequest of the Catalan banker Pau Gil, the first stone of the new hospital, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, was laid on 15 January 1902, though the new facilities would not be opened until 1930.

— virginia irurita, Town & Country, "How to Plan a Trip to Spain," 5 Oct. 2016
But Calhoun mismanaged his bequest and creditors foreclosed on the house, according to Howard Stahl, the mansion’s current owner who has researched its history.

— mary beth klatt, WSJ, "A Shipping Magnate’s Southern Manse," 23 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of bequest

Middle English, irregular from bequethen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

bequest Synonyms

Synonyms

birthright, heritage, inheritance, legacy, patrimony;

Related Words

heirloom;

bestowal, gift, offering, present;

Other Legal Terms

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

BEQUEST Defined for English Language Learners

bequest

noun

Definition of bequest for English Language Learners

: the property or money that you promise in your will to give to another person or organization after you die

BEQUEST Defined for Kids

bequest

noun be·quest \ bi-ˈkwest \

Definition of bequest for Students

1 : the act of leaving property by means of a will

2 : something given or left by a will

Law Dictionary

bequest

noun be·quest \ bi-ˈkwest \

legal Definition of bequest

: 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