bestowed

American  

[bih-stohd] / bɪˈstoʊd /

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of bestow.

Other Word Forms

• unbestowed adjective
• well-bestowed adjective

Etymology

Origin of bestowed

bestow ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

The couple will still be on a high after all the festivities and luxuriating in the afterglow of the love — and cash — bestowed upon them.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

The historian Rachel Trethewey corrects that in a lively biography, “Muv,” which takes its title from the nickname Sydney’s children bestowed on her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

In the run-up to the Academy Awards, Madigan was not the overarching favorite, but wins at the Critics Choice Awards and the Actor Awards bestowed by the Screen Actors Guild snowballed into Oscars success.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

The WGA bestowed the Walter Bernstein Award on Colbert, meant to honor artists with a “willingness to confront social injustice in the face of adversity.”

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2026

Among other praises bestowed upon him by writers, Philopoemen, Prince of the Achaeans, is praised because in peacetime he thought of nothing except the ways of waging war.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli