bequest

[ bih-kwest ]

noun

1. a disposition in a will.
2. a legacy:

   A small bequest allowed her to live independently.

bequest

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bequest¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bequest¹

C14: be- + Old English -cwiss degree; see bequeath

Example Sentences

But for the Orlando Museum of Art, which recently received a $1.8 million bequest from the estate of Margaret Young, that gift couldn’t have come at a better time.

From New York Times

The gift of digital detox that we thought Australia was giving our daughter has also become a revelatory bequest for us — her American parents and her older brother.

From New York Times

The biggest personal donation came from a bequest from Lord John Sainsbury, who left more than £10.2m to the Conservatives after his death.

From BBC

Although the museum has received far larger bequests, the gift, he said, is singular because it targets a single artist and presents his work in unusual depth.

From New York Times

None of the bequest was to be used for existing programs, nor was the Army to convert existing buildings.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• endowment
• inheritance