A bequest is something valuable that someone leaves to another person after they die, usually through a will. When your great-grandmother bequeaths her antique clock to you, that clock becomes your bequest. The word most often refers to money, property, or treasured possessions that pass from one generation to the next.

Bequests can be tangible things like houses, jewelry, or books, or intangible things like money or stocks. A wealthy patron might make a bequest of paintings to an art museum. A scientist might leave a bequest to a university to fund future research. Sometimes the most meaningful bequests aren't the most expensive: a grandfather's compass, a grandmother's recipe book, or a parent's collection of letters can carry more significance than costly items.

Today, bequests are formal legal arrangements that help ensure someone's wishes are honored after they're gone.

Beyond physical objects, people sometimes talk about bequeathing ideas or values to future generations, like how Benjamin Franklin's bequest of practical wisdom still influences how Americans think about hard work and self-improvement.