Intestate
/ɪnˈtɛsteɪt/noun
Not having made a valid will before death.
Did you know?Intestate comes from Latin intestatus, literally “without a testament,” and in Roman law dying without a will could trigger a rigid chain of inheritance rules that felt almost ritualistic.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
intestatus
“without a will or testament”
Late Latin
Latin
intestatus
“not having made a legal testament before death”
Old French
Old French
intestat
“dying without a will”
Middle English
English
intestate
“without a valid will”
Modern English
English
intestate
“not having made a valid will before death”