Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having made a legally valid will before death.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having made and left a valid will or testament.
  • noun In law, one who has made a will or testament; one who dies leaving a will or testament in force.
  • noun Witness; testimony.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Law) Having made and left a will.
  • noun (Law), rare One who leaves a valid will at death; a testate person.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective law Having left a legally valid last will and testament (of one who has died).
  • noun law One who has left a valid will and testament.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a person who makes a will
  • adjective having made a legally valid will before death

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Latin testātus, past participle of testārī, to make one's will; see testament.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word testate.

Examples

  • This returning to their root is what we call testate of stillness; and that stillness may be called a reporting that they have fulfilled their appointed end.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows 2008

  • However, if she died in testate, meaning without a will, and he is married to her, he would possibly inherit everything and then it would be up to him to distribute the assets to the child and obviously, it can be a fight between the biological father and Stern, the husband.

    CNN Transcript Feb 11, 2007 2007

  • A Google non basta il web gestirà anche la pubblicità stampa Senza clamore Google ha iniziato a offrire ai propri inserzionisti la possibilità di acquistare spazi pubblicitari su testate "off line" tramite il suo servizio Google AdWords (fonte: MarketingPilgrim).

    Google Print Ads Opens to All 2007

  • It then gives a brief factual overview of each of the decedents whose records were studied, followed by an analysis of testate distribution patterns with particular attention to differences between male and female decedents.

    Archive 2008-01-01 Mary L. Dudziak 2008

  • This research was undertaken to determine what effect the 1861 California Married Women's Property Act, together with subsequent changes in California probate law that were implemented throughout the latter half of the 19th century, had on testate and intestate succession of women's property.

    Archive 2008-01-01 Mary L. Dudziak 2008

  • Under the law if you are in testate without a will everything you ` ve got goes to your children anyway.

    CNN Transcript Mar 10, 2008 2008

  • In 1850, in Essex County, less than five percent of those who died left testate estates; only about eight percent had estates of any sort.

    A History of American Law Lawrence M. Friedman 1985

  • By 1900, roughly fourteen percent of the dying population left estates that went through probate; eight percent were testate.

    A History of American Law Lawrence M. Friedman 1985

  • In 1850, in Essex County, less than five percent of those who died left testate estates; only about eight percent had estates of any sort.

    A History of American Law Lawrence M. Friedman 1985

  • By 1900, roughly fourteen percent of the dying population left estates that went through probate; eight percent were testate.

    A History of American Law Lawrence M. Friedman 1985

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.