bequeath

[ bih-kweeth, -kweeth ]

/ bɪˈkwiθ, -ˈkwið /

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See synonyms for: bequeath / bequeathed / bequeathing / bequeathal on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to dispose of (personal property, especially money) by last will: She bequeathed her half of the company to her niece.

to hand down; pass on.

Obsolete. to commit; entrust.

OTHER WORDS FOR bequeath

1 will, impart, leave, bestow, grant, consign.

See synonyms for bequeath on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of bequeath

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bequethen, Old English becwethan (be- be- + cwethan “to say” (see quoth), cognate with Old High German quedan, Gothic qithan )

OTHER WORDS FROM bequeath

be·queath·a·ble, adjectivebe·queath·al, be·queath·ment, nounbe·queath·er, nounun·be·queath·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby bequeath

bepaint, plugged in, be, Be Prepared, put to it, be, put upon, be, bequeath, bequeathed, bequest, berachah, berakah, berakhah

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bequeath in a sentence

Sanders takes the story into the post-civil-rights era, delving into the psychological costs — and the lessons — that the early movement bequeathed to those born after the struggles of the 1960s.
What made the civil rights movement successful — and what came next|Clifford Thompson|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
Our minds, brains, and indeed our biology are, in myriad ways, substantially shaped by the social norms, values, institutions, beliefs, and languages bequeathed to us from prior generations.
Martin Luther Rewired Your Brain - Issue 96: Rewired|Joseph Henrich|February 17, 2021|Nautilus
One first step was to figure out whether this Hopkins was the same man who had bequeathed the gift.
How one very old Census record spurred a reckoning at Johns Hopkins University|Susan Svrluga|December 25, 2020|Washington Post
Even before they die, supergiants seem to bequeath material to the next generation of stars.
Betelgeuse went dark, but didn’t go supernova. What happened?|Lisa Grossman|November 29, 2020|Science News

When you have something very good, as good as Americans have it, they have to learn to fight to keep it and protect it, just like anything that is bequeathed to you.
Immigrants who are first-time voters know how much is at stake next week|Petula Dvorak|October 29, 2020|Washington Post
And did they bequeath to the military the task of rescuing the democratic impulse stifled by a pharaoh with an Islamist face?
The Criminal Folly of the Egyptian Armed Forces|Bernard-Henri Lévy|August 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Which will, in turn, mean they retire with less wealth, and bequeath less wealth to their children.
Even If Racism Abates, Its Effects Don't|Megan McArdle|May 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love, If you want me again look for me under your bootsoles.
A Eulogy for Marie Colvin|Katrina Heron|March 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A testator may bequeath property to a trustee who shall select the objects of the testator's bounty.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
I also give and bequeath to my beloved wife the dwelling-house and lot on which I now reside.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
We can finish nothing in this life, but we can make a beginning, and bequeath a noble example.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources|James Wood
But he could not bequeath political capacity to his colleagues, nor could he eradicate many bad traditions of long standing.
Argentina|W. A. Hirst
The sepulchre of Machpelah was the sole possession in the land of his adoption which he could bequeath to his descendants.
Early Israel and the Surrounding Nations|Archibald Sayce

British Dictionary definitions for bequeath

bequeath

/ (bɪˈkwiːð, -ˈkwiːθ) /

verb (tr)

law to dispose of (property, esp personal property) by willCompare devise (def. 2)

to hand down; pass on, as to following generations

Derived forms of bequeath

bequeather, nounbequeathal, noun

Word Origin for bequeath

Old English becwethan; related to Old Norse kvetha to speak, Gothic qithan, Old High German quethan

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

bequeath

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Origin of bequeath

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How to use bequeath in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bequeath

Derived forms of bequeath

Word Origin for bequeath