Meanings
- not comparableWithout a valid will indicating whom to leave one's estate to after death.
- not comparableNot devised or bequeathed; not disposed of by will.
plural intestates
- lawA 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
1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLCAntonyms: testator
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who dies without making a valid will.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivehaving made no legally valid will before death or not disposed of by a legal will
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinintestātus
- Englishintestate
From Latin intestātus, from in- (“not”) + testātus (“testate”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian без завещание
- без завещание (bez zaveštanie)without a valid will
Catalan intestat, abintestat
- intestatwithout a valid will
- abintestatwithout a valid will
Chinese Mandarin 無遺囑 /无遗嘱, 無遺囑者 /无遗嘱者
- 無遺囑 /无遗嘱 (wú yízhǔ)without a valid will
- 無遺囑者 /无遗嘱者 (wú yízhǔ zhě)a person who dies without making a valid will
Finnish testamentiton
- testamentitonwithout a valid will
French intestat, intestat
- intestatwithout a valid will
- intestata person who dies without making a valid will
- intestatea person who dies without making a valid will
German ohne Testament
- ohne Testamentwithout a valid will
Irish díthiomnach, díthiomnóir
- díthiomnachwithout a valid will
- díthiomnóira person who dies without making a valid will
Māori wira kore, mate wirakore
- wira korewithout a valid will
- mate wirakorea person who dies without making a valid will
Polish beztestamentowy
- beztestamentowywithout a valid will
Spanish intestado, abintestato
- intestadowithout a valid will
- abintestatowithout a valid will
Thai ผู้ตายไม่มีพินัยกรรม
- ผู้ตายไม่มีพินัยกรรมa person who dies without making a valid will
Ukrainian без заповіту
- без заповіту (bez zapovitu)without a valid will
Welsh diewyllys, anghymyn
- diewyllyswithout a valid will
- anghymynwithout a valid will
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
intestate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intestate
“intestate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intestate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “intestate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intestate.
Source: intestate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.