Word of the Day

: September 14, 2009

intestate

adjective in-TESS-tayt

What It Means

1 : having made no valid will

2 : not disposed of by will

intestate in Context

Mark and Joan worried about what would happen to their child if they died intestate, so they hired a lawyer to draw up a will soon after the baby was born.

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."