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
But donations from individuals, foundations, corporations and bequests only amount to no more than 15% of the funds flowing into the nonprofit sector.
—
Dyana Mason, The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2025
Steps to Prepare: Stress-Test Portfolios: Evaluate how market volatility might impact estate liquidity and funding for obligations like taxes or charitable bequests.
—Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
This kind of bequest is a huge deal for Symphony San Jose, which in 2022 had an operating budget of about $4 million.
—Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025
The fear and hatred of death that shrouded McGahern’s prior novels, and bore in him a stubborn resistance to so much of Ireland and its bequests, has fallen away.
—Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bequest 
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Dyana Mason, The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2025
Steps to Prepare: Stress-Test Portfolios: Evaluate how market volatility might impact estate liquidity and funding for obligations like taxes or charitable bequests.
—Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
This kind of bequest is a huge deal for Symphony San Jose, which in 2022 had an operating budget of about $4 million.
—Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025
The fear and hatred of death that shrouded McGahern’s prior novels, and bore in him a stubborn resistance to so much of Ireland and its bequests, has fallen away.
—Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bequest
Dictionary Entries Near bequest
Cite this Entry
“Bequest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bequest. Accessed 14 Feb. 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
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