Dictionary

bequeath en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /bɪˈkwiːð/ (UK)
• /bɪˈkwiːθ/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English biquethen, from Old English becweþan (“to say, to speak, to address, exhort, admonish, blame, bequeath, leave by will”). Cognate with Old Frisian biquetha.

Meanings

1. To give or leave by will; to give by testament.
2. To hand down; to transmit.
   • The queen’s longevity always meant that Charles’s reign would be relatively short and therefore one of his most important tasks would be to bequeath the institution to Prince William in reasonable repair. 2025 October 30, Robert Booth, “Not in this together: King Charles cuts Andrew loose to save royal family’s repute”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • First Xavier (Vernon Chatman): Looks like I already did. You're the sad figment of my twisted psyche's tragic dividend. You're the un-me. I'm the real me. You wanna be me? Second Xavier (Vernon Chatman): Kiddo, I was the real me when you were still in my short pants. First Xavier: Hate to break it to you, but I wore them first. Me bequeathed thee the psychopathological hand-you-down. Second Xavier: So you're the one who stained them!! First Xavier: Whoever found it, browned it. 2008, Xavier: Renegade Angel, season 1, episode 10:
   • Ownership of manufacturing workshops is not essential to that job; but BR happen to have been bequeathed a considerable number with a proud history. 1964 May, “News and Comment: Minister hamstrings BR workshops”, in Modern Railways, page 291:
3. To give; to offer; to commit.
   • These young gay men and lesbians were more militant and began to reject advice from the homophile movement to try to "fit into" society, not to make waves, and to rely on professionals and establishment figures to bequeath them social rights. 2006 March 26, Leslie Feinberg, “'Gay is good'”, in Workers World:

Forms

Deriveds

bequeathal · bequeathment · bequeather · unbequeathed · bequeathable

Relateds

bequest · quethe · quoth

Synonyms

leave

Translations (114)

de testamentarisch hinterlassen (to hand down; to transmit) · nl doorgeven (to hand down; to transmit) · it donare (to give; to offer; to commit) · es conferir (to hand down; to transmit) · mi waiho iho (to hand down; to transmit) · es heredar (to give or leave by will) · de weiterreichen (to hand down; to transmit) · it offrire (to give; to offer; to commit) · hy կտակել (to give or leave by will) · be завяшча́ць (to give or leave by will) · es legar (to give or leave by will) · uk відписа́ти (to give or leave by will) · enm biquethen (to give; to offer; to commit) · uk відказа́ти (to give or leave by will) · mi tukuoha (to give or leave by will) · sv efterlämna (to give or leave by will) · pt legar (to hand down; to transmit) · sv testamentera (to give or leave by will) · tr vasiyet etmek (to hand down; to transmit) · mi oha (to give or leave by will) · de überlassen (to give; to offer; to commit) · scn tramannari (to hand down; to transmit) · de übergeben (to hand down; to transmit) · scn dunari (to give or leave by will) · fy neilitte (to give or leave by will) · pl zapisywać (to give or leave by will) · de anvertrauen (to give; to offer; to commit) · be адпіса́ць (to give or leave by will) · enm biquethen (to give or leave by will) · fr donner (to give; to offer; to commit) · mi whakaheke (to hand down; to transmit) · de geben (to give; to offer; to commit) · fr offrir (to give; to offer; to commit) · lb hannerloossen (to give or leave by will) · fi luovuttaa (to give; to offer; to commit) · is arfleiða (to give or leave by will) · pt legar (to give or leave by will) · scn trasmèttiri (to hand down; to transmit) · fr léguer (to give or leave by will) · nl legateren (to give or leave by will) · nl aanbieden (to give; to offer; to commit) · be адпі́сваць (to give or leave by will) · az Miras buraxmaq (to give or leave by will) · hu ráhagy (to hand down; to transmit) · hu hagyományoz (to give or leave by will) · fr passer (to hand down; to transmit) · ru завеща́ть (to give or leave by will) · scn dunari (to give; to offer; to commit) · io legacar (to give or leave by will) · eo testamenti (to give or leave by will) · sh zaveštati (to give or leave by will) · ofs biqathan (to give or leave by will) · de vermachen (to give or leave by will) · fi jättää (to give or leave by will) · it tramandare (to hand down; to transmit) · mi whakaheke (to give or leave by will) · gl legar (to give or leave by will) · sw -rithisha (to give or leave by will) · it trasmettere (to hand down; to transmit) · uk завіща́ти (to give or leave by will) · be адка́зваць (to give or leave by will) · fi luovuttaa (to hand down; to transmit) · enm biquethen (to hand down; to transmit) · scn passari (to hand down; to transmit) · gl mandar (to give or leave by will) · de übergeben (to give; to offer; to commit) · be адказа́ць (to give or leave by will) · hu ráhagy (to give or leave by will) · de vermachen (to hand down; to transmit) · es transmitir (to hand down; to transmit) · uk відка́зувати (to give or leave by will) · scn lassari (to give or leave by will) · de (jemandem etwas) hinterlassen (to hand down; to transmit) · fi jättää (to give; to offer; to commit) · de abgeben (to give; to offer; to commit) · fi jättää (to hand down; to transmit) · fi testamentata (to give or leave by will) · de vererben (to give or leave by will) · scn dari (to give or leave by will) · mi wira (to give or leave by will) · es confiar (to give; to offer; to commit) · uk відпи́сувати (to give or leave by will) · hu örökül hagy (to give or leave by will) · fr transmettre (to give or leave by will) · tr mirasla bırakmak (to give or leave by will) · hu hagyományoz (to hand down; to transmit) · it legare (to give or leave by will) · az Miras qoymaq (to give or leave by will) · es pasar (to hand down; to transmit) · es legar (to hand down; to transmit) · lb verierwen (to give or leave by will) · it lasciare in eredità (to give or leave by will) · nl nalaten (to give or leave by will) · tr vasiyetle bırakmak (to give or leave by will) · pl zapisać (to give or leave by will) · de aussetzen (to give or leave by will) · ja 遺す (to give or leave by will) · fi jättää jälkipolville (to hand down; to transmit) · es otorgar (to give; to offer; to commit) · de anbieten (to give; to offer; to commit) · sv lämna i arv (to give or leave by will) · cmn 遺贈 /遗赠 (to give or leave by will) · bg завеща́вам (to give or leave by will) · nl overleveren (to hand down; to transmit) · hu örökül hagy (to hand down; to transmit) · oc legar (to give or leave by will) · nl overdragen (to give or leave by will) · de hinterlassen (to give or leave by will) · es dar (to give; to offer; to commit) · pt transmitir (to hand down; to transmit) · scn òffriri (to give; to offer; to commit) · fr transmettre (to hand down; to transmit) · es dejar (to give or leave by will) · es ceder (to give or leave by will)