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
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
Instead, the commission will be required to raise funds through gifts, grants, and bequests that come from solicitations or various fundraisers.
—
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2024
Their bequests to the foundation totaled nearly 90 percent of the stock of the Ford Motor Company and created an endowment that was valued officially at $417 million in 1954 but was likely much larger.
—Darren Walker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018
The nonprofit’s average bequest grew to an impressive $867,000.
—Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2024
In 1885, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam received two Frans Hals paintings as part of a bequest.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bequest 
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2024
Their bequests to the foundation totaled nearly 90 percent of the stock of the Ford Motor Company and created an endowment that was valued officially at $417 million in 1954 but was likely much larger.
—Darren Walker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018
The nonprofit’s average bequest grew to an impressive $867,000.
—Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2024
In 1885, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam received two Frans Hals paintings as part of a bequest.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bequest
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bequest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bequest
Cite this Entry
“Bequest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bequest. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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