bequest

noun be·quest \ bi-ˈkwest , bē- \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

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

Word of the bequest was recently publicized because of the settling of Randlett's estate.

— paul p. murphy, CNN, "Janitor leaves his $175,000+ life savings to victims of child abuse," 11 May 2018
The year-long postponement of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature does not affect the other prizes funded by a bequest in Alfred Nobel’s will.

— peter ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "After Nobel prize falls to #MeToo, what's next for literature's highest honor?," 7 May 2018
Rescue groups generally are organized as nonprofit charities and raise money through fundraisers, adoption fees, grants and bequests.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Dog rescuers from Alabama and elsewhere buy animals from breeders they scorn," 13 Apr. 2018
Rescue groups generally are organized as nonprofit charities and raise money through fundraisers, adoption fees, grants and bequests.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Dog rescuers from Alabama and elsewhere buy animals from breeders they scorn," 13 Apr. 2018
Rescue groups generally are organized as nonprofit charities and raise money through fundraisers, adoption fees, grants and bequests.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Dog rescuers from Alabama and elsewhere buy animals from breeders they scorn," 13 Apr. 2018
Rescue groups generally are organized as nonprofit charities and raise money through fundraisers, adoption fees, grants and bequests.

— author: kim kavin, Anchorage Daily News, "Dog rescuers, flush with donations, buy animals from the breeders they scorn," 11 Apr. 2018
First off, state legislators blissfully offered voters that sweet bequest because their source of money to run state government is from sales tax, not property tax.

— lauren ritchie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Property owners beware — tax 'cut' up for a vote likely to be a fake reduction," 7 Apr. 2018
His decision left many baffled, including museum administrators in Bern, who had to decide what to do with such a loaded bequest.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Persistent Crime of Nazi-Looted Art," 11 Mar. 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