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

George Washington’s last will and testament included a proposal and bequest for establishing a national university. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Three of the past four years have shown big growth in bequests, which may indicate that the great wealth transfer has begun. — ABC News, 23 June 2026

However, the total value of charitable bequests may be rising simply because stocks have been performing better than normal for several years. — Jon Bergdoll, The Conversation, 23 June 2026

The opera filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging the Kennedy Center illegally took years' worth of donor gifts, bequests and endowment funds. — Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 12 June 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