bequest

American  

[bih-kwest] / bɪˈkwɛst /

noun

bequests plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bequests
  plural

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.

Related Words

• endowment
• inheritance