bequeath

American

[bih-kweeth, -kweeth] / bɪˈkwiθ, -ˈkwið /

verb (used with object)

to dispose of (personal property, especially money) by last will.

She bequeathed her half of the company to her niece.

Synonyms:

consign, grant, bestow, leave, impart, will
to hand down; pass on.
Obsolete. to commit; entrust.

bequeath British

/ bɪˈkwiːð, -ˈkwiːθ /

verb

law to dispose of (property, esp personal property) by will Compare devise
to hand down; pass on, as to following generations

"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

Other Word Forms

bequeathable adjective
bequeathal noun
bequeather noun
bequeathment noun
unbequeathable adjective

Etymology

Origin of bequeath

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bequethen, Old English becwethan ( be- be- + cwethan “to say” ( quoth ), cognate with Old High German quedan, Gothic qithan )

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.

If you bequeath a Roth, heirs’ withdrawals are tax-free.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

And yet you can’t bequeath to your children a crust of bread.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

If your friend has a valuable piece of jewelry she may wish to bequeath those to a sister or aunt or niece.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 3, 2025

Brandi Schmitt is director of the anatomical donation programme at the University of California, a popular destination for people wishing to bequeath their bodies.

From BBC • Aug. 30, 2025

Aurelia had all the intelligence that her clever parents could bequeath her.

From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023