bequeathed; bequeathing; bequeaths
1
: to give or leave by will (see will entry 2 sense 1)
—used especially of personal property
a ring bequeathed to her by her grandmother
2
: to hand down : transmit
lessons bequeathed to future generations
Examples of bequeath in a Sentence
He bequeathed his paintings to the museum.
Lessons of the past are bequeathed to future generations.
Recent Examples on the Web
Each box owner has about 10 seats that can be transferred, rented out or bequeathed.
—
Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Upon her death in 2005, Lord’s $40 million estate was bequeathed to Hawaiian charities.
—Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
The pooches were bequeathed to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson when Britain's longest-reigning monarch died in 2022.
—Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 7 June 2026
To mark the occasion, Heritage Auctions is auctioning 101 lots online containing personal items that belonged to Norman and Hedda Rosten, two close friends of Monroe for the last seven years of her life, bequeathed to them over the course of their friendship.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bequeath
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Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Upon her death in 2005, Lord’s $40 million estate was bequeathed to Hawaiian charities.
—Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
The pooches were bequeathed to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson when Britain's longest-reigning monarch died in 2022.
—Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 7 June 2026
To mark the occasion, Heritage Auctions is auctioning 101 lots online containing personal items that belonged to Norman and Hedda Rosten, two close friends of Monroe for the last seven years of her life, bequeathed to them over the course of their friendship.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bequeath
Cite this Entry
“Bequeath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bequeath. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
: to give or leave property by a will
2
: hand down sense 1
traditions bequeathed by our ancestors
Legal Definition
bequeath
transitive verb
be·queath
bi-ˈkwēth, -ˈkwēt͟h 
Etymology
Old English becwethan to speak to, address, leave by will, from be- to, about + cwethan to say
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