bequeathed; bequeathing; bequeaths
1
: to give or leave by will (see will entry 2 sense 1)
—used especially of personal property
a ring bequeathed to her by her grandmother
2
: to hand down : transmit
lessons bequeathed to future generations
Examples of bequeath in a Sentence
He bequeathed his paintings to the museum.
Lessons of the past are bequeathed to future generations.
Recent Examples on the Web
Above all, the Trump administration would bequeath a stock of leverage to its successor.
—
Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2020
It’s been a lucky 13 weeks now for Taylor Swift’s massive blockbuster atop the Billboard 200, as the set returned to the top spot in a slow release week after having bequeathed it to Eminem (The Death of Slim Shady) and Stray Kids (ATE), respectively, in the two prior frames.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Collectors who have been active in the market for decades have built up large collections, that will either have to be sold, passed on to family or bequeathed to museums or nonprofits.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2024
Our constitutional order has bequeathed us the freest and most prosperous society mankind has ever known.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bequeath 
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Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2020
It’s been a lucky 13 weeks now for Taylor Swift’s massive blockbuster atop the Billboard 200, as the set returned to the top spot in a slow release week after having bequeathed it to Eminem (The Death of Slim Shady) and Stray Kids (ATE), respectively, in the two prior frames.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Collectors who have been active in the market for decades have built up large collections, that will either have to be sold, passed on to family or bequeathed to museums or nonprofits.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2024
Our constitutional order has bequeathed us the freest and most prosperous society mankind has ever known.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bequeath
Dictionary Entries Near bequeath
Cite this Entry
“Bequeath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bequeath. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
: to give or leave property by a will
2
: hand down sense 1
traditions bequeathed by our ancestors
Legal Definition
bequeath
transitive verb
be·queath
bi-ˈkwēth, -ˈkwēt͟h 
Etymology
Old English becwethan to speak to, address, leave by will, from be- to, about + cwethan to say
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