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
Compare meaning
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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.
A new series of laser images shot from a drone offers a dramatic, dynamic look at the unfolding landslide on Rattlesnake Ridge south of Yakima that threatens Intestate 82.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2018
As a result of this hearing, an order in Council was issued February 15, 1728, annulling the Connecticut Intestate Act as contrary to the laws of England and as exceeding charter rights.
From The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut by Greene, Maria Louise
Intestate property should descend in equal shares to children of both sexes.
From The Critical Period of American History by Fiske, John
We have further the text of the celebrated clause in the Twelve Tables by which the Testamentary power was expressly recognised, and the clauses regulating Intestate Succession have also been preserved.
From Ancient Law Its Connection to the History of Early Society by Maine, Henry Sumner, Sir
The term Hæres is no more emphatically used of the Intestate than of the Testamentary Heir, for the manner in which a man became Hæres had nothing to do with the legal character he sustained.
From Ancient Law Its Connection to the History of Early Society by Maine, Henry Sumner, Sir
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.
