bequeath
/bɪˈkwiːð
/verb [with object]
1Leave (property) to a person or other beneficiary by a will: he bequeathed his art collection to the town...
- By his will dated 8th June 1956 he appointed the Mother to be his executrix and bequeathed all his property whatsoever or wheresoever to her.
- She bequeathed all her property equally among her children.
- Things look especially grim for him when they learn the actress had bequeathed him a ranch property in America worth quite a sum.
Synonyms
leave, leave in one's will, will, make over, pass on, hand on, hand down, cede, consign, commit, entrust, grant, transfer, convey;
donate, give, give over, turn over, vouchsafe;
bestow on, confer on;
Law demise, devise
1.1Pass (something) on or leave (something) to someone else: he ditched the unpopular policies bequeathed to him...
- Each region bequeaths its own brand of craft skills and the results are so variegated that the categories run into the hundreds.
- Hurricane Katrina ‘is giving our nation a glimpse of the climate chaos we are bequeathing our children.’
- And he won't talk about the $4.6 trillion deficit he is bequeathing the nation or about wages.
Synonyms
hand down, hand on, pass on, impart, transmit
Derivatives
bequeathal
- Properly completed bequeathal forms have legal status, a formal last will and testament is not required.
- If you have no immediate next of kin available as a witness, the bequeathal is still legal.
- Donations and bequeathals are welcome and tax deductible.
bequeather
/ noun ...- Heirs paid the debts of the bequeather and other taxes according to the inherited parts the property.
- The basic principles of inheritance are equality and the disposal rights of the bequeathers and the heirs.
- Succession shall be governed by the law of the last state of residence of the bequeather.
Origin
Old English becwethan, from be- 'about' (expressing transitivity) + cwethan 'say' (see quoth).
The Old English form becwethan is composed of be- ‘about’ and cwethan ‘say’; the related bequest is Middle English, both reflecting a time when wills were often spoken rather than written. Quoth, an old term for ‘he/she said’ also comes from cwethan.