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bequest

American  
[bih-kwest] / bɪˈkwɛst /

noun

  1. a disposition in a will.

  2. a legacy.

    A small bequest allowed her to live independently.
bequest British  
/ bɪˈkwɛst /

noun

    1. the act of bequeathing

    2. something that is bequeathed

  2. law a gift of property by will, esp personal property Compare devise devise

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bequest

1250–1300; Middle English biqueste, biquyste, equivalent to bi- be- + quiste will, bequest, Old English -cwis ( se ) (with excrescent t, as in behest ), noun derivative of cwethan to say; on the model of bequethen bequeath

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I have one daughter who is well off, having received a generous bequest through my deceased sister’s will.

From MarketWatch

Gold bars, rings and necklaces can be handed down to the next generation as wedding gifts or inheritance bequests.

From Barron's

It’s also likely that the Reiners included charitable bequests in their estate plans.

From Salon

There are ways to leave a legacy even with a small amount of funds, and charities count on these kinds of bequests.

From MarketWatch

But they must first deal with the legalities of their bequest.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.