Standard Lemma guide

intestate

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪnˈtɛsteɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Without a valid will indicating whom to leave one's estate to after death.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not devised or bequeathed; not disposed of by will.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person who dies without making a valid will.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: testator

4

adjective

Meaning 4

having made no legally valid will before death or not disposed of by a legal will

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he died intestate
  • intestate property

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: testate

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: без завещание (bez zaveštanie) — without a valid will
  • Catalan: intestat — without a valid will
  • Catalan: abintestat — without a valid will
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無遺囑 /无遗嘱 (wú yízhǔ) — without a valid will
  • Finnish: testamentiton — without a valid will
  • French: intestat — without a valid will
  • German: ohne Testament — without a valid will
  • Irish: díthiomnach — without a valid will
  • Northern Kurdish: bêwesiyet — without a valid will
  • Northern Kurdish: bêwesiyetname — without a valid will
  • Manx: neuhymnagh — without a valid will
  • Māori: wira kore — without a valid will
  • Polish: beztestamentowy — without a valid will
  • Spanish: intestado — without a valid will
  • Spanish: abintestato — without a valid will
  • Ukrainian: без заповіту (bez zapovitu) — without a valid will
  • Welsh: diewyllys — without a valid will
  • Welsh: anghymyn — without a valid will
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無遺囑者 /无遗嘱者 (wú yízhǔ zhě) — a person who dies without making a valid will
  • French: intestat — a person who dies without making a valid will
  • French: intestate — a person who dies without making a valid will
  • Irish: díthiomnóir — a person who dies without making a valid will
  • Manx: neuhymnagh — a person who dies without making a valid will
  • Māori: mate wirakore — a person who dies without making a valid will
  • Thai: ผู้ตายไม่มีพินัยกรรม — a person who dies without making a valid will