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
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
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon arrives to testify at the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget bequest for the Department of Education on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
—
Dan Gooding
jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
Some believed that Griffith’s mighty bequest was also angled, in part, to dodge taxes.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
Similar clauses likely abound in church and seminary bequests nationwide.
—The Rev. Jake Dell, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025
In 2024, individuals accounted for the largest share of giving, 66%, followed by foundations at 19%, bequests at 8% and corporations at 7%.
—Rasheeda Childress, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bequest
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dan Gooding
jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
Some believed that Griffith’s mighty bequest was also angled, in part, to dodge taxes.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
Similar clauses likely abound in church and seminary bequests nationwide.
—The Rev. Jake Dell, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025
In 2024, individuals accounted for the largest share of giving, 66%, followed by foundations at 19%, bequests at 8% and corporations at 7%.
—Rasheeda Childress, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bequest
Cite this Entry
“Bequest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bequest. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share