bequest

American  

[bih-kwest] / bɪˈkwɛst /

noun

1. a disposition in a will.

2. a legacy.

   A small bequest allowed her to live independently.

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bequest British  

/ bɪˈkwɛst /

noun

1. 1. the act of bequeathing

   2. something that is bequeathed

2. law a gift of property by will, esp personal property Compare devise devise

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Etymology

Origin of bequest

1250–1300; Middle English biqueste, biquyste, equivalent to bi- be- + quiste will, bequest, Old English -cwis ( se ) (with excrescent t, as in behest ), noun derivative of cwethan to say; on the model of bequethen bequeath

Explanation

When you receive some kind of gift, be it money or property, through a will, that gift is known as a bequest. Your aunt left you a bequest of the earrings she always thought you admired. The noun bequest is something one arranges to give away after death, sort of a gift from beyond the grave. Basically, putting a bequest in a will is a way of making sure the right person will get certain goods after your death. If you are very wealthy, universities and charitable organizations may court you in an attempt to gain bequests for their institutions.

Example Sentences

Receiving a bequest from your father will not change the many years you had growing up.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 24, 2025

In 1838 the U.S. received more than $500,000 from that bequest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025

British scientist James Smithson’s bequest was intended to support “the increase and diffusion of knowledge.”

From Salon • Aug. 22, 2025

The left-field bequest — as if tending to Walter’s legacy with an overdue book of his correspondence wasn’t enough — is, to Iris, a mystery on top of a conundrum.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2025

The last bequest was for Loomis Toy, “the sum of fifty dollars in appreciation of his loyal service to the store and my family.”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Related Words

• endowment
• inheritance