intestate

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adjective

in·tes·tate in-ˈte-ˌstāt

-stət

: having made no valid will

died intestate

: not disposed of by will

an intestate estate

intestate

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Did you know?

Intestate was borrowed into English in the 14th century from Latin intestatus, which was itself formed by combining the prefix in- ("not") and the adjective testatus, meaning "having left a valid will." Testatus, in turn, derives from the past participle of the verb testari, meaning "to make a will." Approximately a century later, English speakers returned to testatus to coin the word testate, which also means "having left a valid will." Other descendants of testari in English include detest, protest, and testament, as well as testator ("a person who dies leaving a will or testament in force"). The antonym of testator is the noun intestate, meaning "one who dies without a will."

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

However, if a person dies and a will is not found within six months, the intestate succession laws decide which family members will inherit the estate. —

Branded Content Contributor, Orange County Register, 19 Nov. 2019 The laws of intestate succession typically put any children first in line, followed by parents. —

Liz Weston, latimes.com, 1 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intestate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.