bestowed
Americanadjective
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presented as a gift or privilege; given or conferred.
As the official addressed them, some members of the audience shouted with joy over their newly bestowed citizenship.
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Archaic. applied; put to some use.
If I regarded the present discussion concerning baptism as only about mere mode or form, I should think my time and labor poorly bestowed.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bestowed
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.
Exhibit A: Wolf Blitzer, whose white beard has bestowed the gift of perpetual old age on him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Similarly, the prize for actor was bestowed on both Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, co-stars of Lukas Dhont’s World War I romantic drama “Coward.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026
In 2004, Sir Elton was awarded fellowship of the Ivors Academy, and his old collaborator, the late George Michael, also had that honour bestowed upon him on Thursday - 10 years after his death.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
The name “Atatürk,” bestowed by Turkey’s Grand National Assembly in 1934, means “Father of the Turks,” and it is Ms. Hansen’s argument that Mr. Erdogan is committing ideological patricide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
It was too soon for his true name to be bestowed, he thought.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
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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.