bequeath

American  

[bih-kweeth, -kweeth] / bɪˈkwiθ, -ˈkwið /

verb (used with object)

1. to dispose of (personal property, especially money) by last will.

   She bequeathed her half of the company to her niece.

   Synonyms:

   consign, grant, bestow, leave, impart, will

2. to hand down; pass on.

3. Obsolete. to commit; entrust.

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bequeath British  

/ bɪˈkwiːð, -ˈkwiːθ /

verb

1. law to dispose of (property, esp personal property) by will Compare devise

2. to hand down; pass on, as to following generations

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Other Word Forms

• bequeathable adjective
• bequeathal noun
• bequeather noun
• bequeathment noun
• unbequeathable adjective

Etymology

Origin of bequeath

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

Example Sentences

Gehry bequeathed blueprints and models, sketches and concepts, for his large and devoted team of younger architects and next-generation visionaries equipped to fabricate our way out of angst.

From Los Angeles Times

The director of “The Fly” and “Videodrome” isn’t in the film long, but he bequeaths prestige upon these splat-hijinks that they don’t quite deserve.

From Los Angeles Times

But many who served in the front lines maintained their revolutionary zeal, becoming more determined to sustain the regime Khomeini bequeathed to them.

From The Wall Street Journal

If you bequeath a Roth, heirs’ withdrawals are tax-free.

From Barron's

Over the years, we’ve tried to recruit people inside and outside our company to take over — even offering 80% of the business profits when I turn 70 and bequeathing all the assets upon our deaths.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• bestow
• entrust
• hand down
• impart
• pass on