intestate
Americanadjective
-
(of a person) not having made a will.
to die intestate.
-
(of things) not disposed of by will.
Her property remains intestate.
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intestate
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin intestātus, equivalent to in- in- 3 + testātus testate
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How does intestate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
In legal terms, if someone dies without having made a will, they're intestate. Your great aunt may have intended to leave all her money to her cats, but unfortunately for Flufferkins and Mr. Wiggles, she died intestate. Like a lot of legal words, it might seem more straightforward to simply say, "without a will," but lawyers like to use Latin whenever possible. Intestate comes from the Latin intestatus, "without a will," from the root testari, "bear witness," which it shares with testament. When someone with a lot of money or property dies intestate, it can complicate things for the relatives they leave behind — it's not clear who gets what.
Vocabulary lists containing intestate
Cormac McCarthy (1933–2023) Tribute List
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Nicholas Nickleby
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Richard III
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As his only sister and his closest living relative, you would be legal heir to his estate if he died intestate — without a will.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
"The estate will actually be probated in accordance with intestate succession laws and the children would be lawfully next in line to inherit," he said.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2025
Dying intestate can be damaging even if you don’t have a spouse or kids.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
According to Mr. Weisbord, only intestate heirs — family, in other words — and anyone who was named in a prior will can do so.
From New York Times ● Apr. 29, 2023
The cold relentless circling of the intestate earth.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
