bequest

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noun be·quest \bi-ˈkwest, bē-\

Definition of bequest

1 : the act of giving or leaving something by will (see ²will 6) : 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

Organized by Sinead Vilbar, the museum's curator of Japanese art, the show offers an overview of a portion of the bequest of 55 examples of Japanese and Korean art that Gund left to the museum.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Museum of Art Japanese exhibit shows quieter side of former Cavs owner George Gund III (photos)," 15 July 2017
An irony in Wilson’s bequest to Buffalo is that he was sometimes chided as a cheapskate by media and fans.

— erik brady, USA TODAY, "How former Bills owner's fortune is being spent," 28 June 2017
This is exactly what happens when there is no estate or inheritance tax on the bequests of the very rich.

— the tylt, cleveland.com, "Should we get rid of the estate tax?," 9 June 2017
A slew of deductions including charitable bequests, among other loopholes, bring down the taxable value of the estate reduce the effective tax rate.

— ajc homepage, ajc, "PolitiFact: Sanders misstates impact on rich of Trump’s tax plan," 2 June 2017
The show was organized by James Meyer, a curator at Washington, D.C.’s National Gallery of Art, where Virginia Dwan made a bequest of about 100 works from her own collection four years ago.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "Where yellow means go, and go now: LACMA's standout show on '60s Dwan Gallery," 31 May 2017
Most people don't know about or understand the concept of bequests.

— randall p. lieberman, Jewish Journal, "Boca Jewish groups raise more than $57 million in legacy gifts," 15 May 2017
St. Jude’s largest donation is an $8 million bequest gift from the estate of Harold and Henrietta Lee of Buena Park.

— courtney perkes, Orange County Register, "St. Jude hospital in Fullerton receives $3 million gift for stroke care from estate of former patient," 4 May 2017
Post’s idea, in making her bequest, had been that Mar-a-Lago could serve as a retreat for Presidents—and with Trump in the White House her desire will presumably be at least partially fulfilled.

— david owen, The New Yorker, "Mar-a-Lago’s Destiny as Trump’s Presidential Retreat," 20 Jan. 2017

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

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Other Legal Terms

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

BEQUEST Defined for English Language Learners

bequest

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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

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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

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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 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