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
Oscar’s own Altadena home, on Grandeur Avenue, which was bequeathed to him and his wife, Laurie, by a great-aunt who bought it in the fifties, was just a five-minute drive away.
—
Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
After years on the periphery of French politics, his fortunes changed in 1977 when he was bequeathed a mansion outside Paris by a millionaire backer, along with 30 million francs, around $5.2 million in today's money.
—Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
Still, with the Conservatives leading the Liberals by 25 percentage points in recent surveys, the path that Mr. Trudeau bequeaths his successor is likely to be treacherous.
—Matina Stevis-Gridneff, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
But it was discovered this year after an Austrian citizen was bequeathed it by a relative who had bought it in 1960.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 29 Dec. 2024
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Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
After years on the periphery of French politics, his fortunes changed in 1977 when he was bequeathed a mansion outside Paris by a millionaire backer, along with 30 million francs, around $5.2 million in today's money.
—Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
Still, with the Conservatives leading the Liberals by 25 percentage points in recent surveys, the path that Mr. Trudeau bequeaths his successor is likely to be treacherous.
—Matina Stevis-Gridneff, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
But it was discovered this year after an Austrian citizen was bequeathed it by a relative who had bought it in 1960.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bequeath
Dictionary Entries Near bequeath
Cite this Entry
“Bequeath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bequeath. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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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