bequeath
verb
be·queath
| \ bi-ˈkwēth
, -ˈkwēt͟h, bē-
\
, -ˈkwēt͟h, bē-
\
bequeathed;
bequeathing;
bequeaths
Definition of bequeath
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
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Other Words from bequeath
bequeathal
\ bi-ˈkwē-thəl
, -t͟həl , bē- \
noun
, -t͟həl , bē- \
noun
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
Nearing the end of his fourth term as New York’s governor, Rockefeller resigned in December 1973 and bequeathed the position to his lieutenant governor, Malcolm Wilson. — Sam Roberts, BostonGlobe.com, "Richard Rosenbaum, truest of Rockefeller Republicans, is dead at 88," 4 Aug. 2019 Despots who seek to remain in charge by bequeathing their office to a puppet sometimes succeed (think of Vladimir Putin). — The Economist, "Ebola is a reminder of why the world should pay attention to Congo," 1 Aug. 2019 Emma Thompson is a lot of things: an actress, a dame, a lifeforce bequeathed to humanity by the gods. — Angela Watercutter, WIRED, "Emma Thompson Tried to Be in Star Wars," 12 June 2019 Meals here are leisurely, with servers bequeathing guests with enough time to enjoy each dish before moving on to the next (sometimes, though, meals are a tad too slow). — Daliah Singer, The Know, "Restaurant review: At Spuntino, a meal is something to be savored and shared," 10 July 2019 The sword has been bequeathed to a woman named Cynthia (Jillian Bell) by her grandfather, who lived in Alabama until his recent death. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Review: Politically barbed ‘Sword of Trust’ takes on Civil War truthers," 25 July 2019 The sword has been bequeathed to a woman named Cynthia (Jillian Bell) by her grandfather, who lived in Alabama until his recent death. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: Lynn Shelton’s politically barbed ‘Sword of Trust,’ starring Marc Maron, takes on Civil War truthers," 18 July 2019 In the present, though, Andy’s toy collection has been bequeathed to Bonnie, the kindergartner who makes Forky on her first day of orientation, and quickly relegates Woody to the closet. — Scott Tobias, The Verge, "Toy Story 4 lowers the stakes and ramps up the whimsy," 21 June 2019 After Queen Alexandra's death, the diadem was bequeathed to Queen Mary, who then passed it on to Queen Elizabeth—who one day, will also pass it down. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Watch Queen Victoria's Daughter's Stunning Royal Tiara Be Transformed into a Necklace," 22 May 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bequeath.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for bequeath
bequeath
verb
English Language Learners Definition of bequeath
formal
: to say in a will that (your property) will be given to (a person or organization) after you die
: to give (ideas, knowledge, etc.) to (younger people) as part of their history
See the full definition for bequeath in the English Language Learners Dictionary
bequeath
verb
be·queath
| \ bi-ˈkwēth
, -ˈkwēt͟h\
, -ˈkwēt͟h\
bequeathed;
bequeathing
Kids Definition of bequeath
1
: to give or leave by means of a will
I bequeath this ring to my sister.
2
: to hand down
These stories were bequeathed to us by our ancestors.
bequeath
transitive verb
be·queath
| \ bi-ˈkwēth, -ˈkwēt͟h
\
\
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