estate tax

noun

: a tax in the form of a percentage of the taxable estate that is imposed on a property owner's right to transfer the property to others after their death compare inheritance tax sense 1

Examples of estate tax in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That means a $4,000,001 estate in Illinois yields a state estate tax bill of more than $220,000, compared with $0 in federal tax because the $15 million threshold isn't hit. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

As Sportico detailed in its succession series, families with sports franchises often turn to trust agreements for estate tax purposes and to construct an orderly arrangement for control and succession. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Aug. 2026

For some, estate tax may not be an important consideration, and for others, capital gains income is not an issue. — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for estate tax

• anticlimax
• counterattacks
• hemothorax
• mesothorax
• metathorax
• almanacs
• carrybacks
• haversacks
• lumberjacks
• maniacs
• microcracks
• minimax

Legal Definition

estate tax

noun

: an excise in the form of a percentage of the taxable estate that is imposed on a property owner's right to transfer the property to others after his or her death

called also succession tax

see also unified transfer tax compare gift tax, inheritance tax