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

• 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

Generally speaking, people shouldn’t be asking for bequests for themselves. —Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025

But his and Anne’s ultimate bequest to their daughter is the ability to struggle against her resentment rather than sinking permanently into it. —Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025

Assets left in an unconverted IRA are ideal for covering a bequest to a charity. —William Baldwin, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024

Further, very few wealthy clients will face an estate tax (.2% as discussed above) so solicitation of bequests may have to acknowledge that there may be no estate tax benefit. —Martin Shenkman, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

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