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 of bequest

• inheritance

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

To be sure, charitable bequests are also fully deductible against the estate tax, which means the destination (charity) is what erases Buffett’s tax liability. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 30 July 2026

Congress established the Smithsonian Institution to administer the $500,000-plus bequest of British scientist James Smithson. — USA Today, 28 July 2026

The Richard Pousette-Dart Foundation has announced a bequest of work by the artist from his late widow, Evelyn Pousette-Dart. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 21 July 2026

Read that way, a 20% annual jump in bequest giving isn't a good year. — Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

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