: one to whom a legacy is bequeathed or a devise is given
Synonyms
heir
heir at law
inheritor
See all Synonyms & Antonyms
Example Sentences
the couple had no children, so they declared their nephew their only legatee
Recent Examples on the WebTheir hosts were Walter Arensberg, a Pittsburgh steel heir, and his wife, Louise Stevens, an even wealthier Massachusetts textile-industry legatee. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2022 Columbus was not, as is well-known to the ungrateful modern-day legatees of his conquest, a perfect man. John Hirschauer, National Review, 14 Oct. 2019 Under the bill, a couple could pass on up to $22 million in assets without their legatees having to pay the tax. The Washington Post, NOLA.com, 20 Dec. 2017 Under the bill, a couple could pass on up to $22 million in assets without their legatees having to pay the tax. Author: Jeff Stein, Damian Paletta, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Dec. 2017 But the children of OxyContin, its heirs and legatees, are many and various. Christopher Glazek, Esquire, 16 Oct. 2017
Word History
First Known Use
1627, in the meaning defined above
Legal Definition
legatee
noun
le·ga·tee ˌle-gə-ˈtē
: one to whom a legacy is bequeathed compare devisee, heir, next of kin, successor
legatees
noun
plural of legatee
as in heirs
a person who has the right to inherit property the couple had no children, so they declared their nephew their only legatee