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intestate

[ in-tes-teyt, -tit ]

adjective

  1. (of a person) not having made a will:

    to die intestate.

  2. (of things) not disposed of by will:

    Her property remains intestate.



noun

  1. a person who dies intestate.

intestate

/ ɪnˈtɛsteɪt; -tɪt /

adjective

    1. (of a person) not having made a will
    2. (of property) not disposed of by will
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a person who dies without having made a will
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • inˈtestacy, noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of intestate1

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin intestātus, equivalent to in- in- 3 + testātus testate
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Word History and Origins

Origin of intestate1

C14: from Latin intestātus, from in- 1+ testātus, from testārī to bear witness, make a will, from testis a witness
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Compare Meanings

How does intestate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

He was concerned that if he died intestate, his proprieties would not be passed to Li.

Most states have laws covering how an estate should be divided when a person dies “intestate,” meaning without a will, as the vast majority of Americans do, Rubenstein said.

If you don’t have a will — called “dying intestate” — your assets are distributed by a probate court according to your state’s laws of intestacy.

Making a will that honored my love for them felt overwhelmingly complicated, especially when “intestate succession” laws, which govern inheritance if a person dies without a will, stop at relatives by blood, adoption or marriage.

Rules for inheritance vary state by state, but if someone dies intestate, for a partner to inherit, marriage seems to be a necessity.

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intestacyintestinal