ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bequeathed

v.
C1 Advanced US //bəˈkwiθt// UK //bɪkwˈiːðd// be·queathed

v. to leave money or property to someone in a will after you die. It can also mean passing down something like a tradition or a secret to a younger person.

v. to leave property or assets to a person or beneficiary by a last will and testament; to hand down or pass something on to a successor.


SIMPLE

He bequeathed his entire library to the local university.

CONTEXTUAL

The founder bequeathed her shares to her children, ensuring the family maintained control of the company.

COMPLEX

The philosopher bequeathed a legacy of critical inquiry to his students, challenging them to question the very foundations of their own beliefs.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and often takes a direct object (the asset) and an indirect object (the recipient) introduced by 'to'.

Pitfall

He bequeathed to his son the house.He bequeathed the house to his son.In modern English, the direct object (the thing given) usually precedes the recipient when using the preposition 'to'.

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