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. 1. (of a person) not having made a will
   2. (of property) not disposed of by will

noun

1. a person who dies without having made a will

Derived Forms

• inˈtestacy, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of intestate¹

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

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

Example Sentences

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

From Seattle Times

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.

From Seattle Times

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.

From Seattle Times

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.

From New York Times

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

From Washington Post