Intestate

//ɪnˈtɛsteɪt// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A person who dies without making a valid will.

    "the surplusages of intestates […]after the expiration of one full year from the death of the intestate is to be distributed : one - third to the widow of the intestate, and the residue in equal proportions to his children ; or if dead to their representatives : that is , their lineal descendants"

Adjective
  1. 1
    Without a valid will indicating whom to leave one's estate to after death. not-comparable
  2. 2
    Not devised or bequeathed; not disposed of by will. not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    having made no legally valid will before death or not disposed of by a legal will wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
contributory

Example

More examples

"the surplusages of intestates […]after the expiration of one full year from the death of the intestate is to be distributed : one - third to the widow of the intestate, and the residue in equal proportions to his children ; or if dead to their representatives : that is , their lineal descendants"

Etymology

From Latin intestātus, from in- (“not”) + testātus (“testate”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.