What does intestate mean?
Intestate means without a valid will. It is most often used to describe a person who dies intestate, meaning that the law rather than a will determines how their property is distributed. The term can also describe an intestate estate or intestate succession. These situations may involve special rules about which relatives inherit, and they can create disputes or additional legal expense. In everyday usage, the word is most familiar in the expression 'die intestate', which can suggest an unplanned or unfortunate absence of legal instructions. Although the legal consequences vary by jurisdiction, the basic meaning is consistent: no valid testament exists to govern the estate. Understanding the term is useful when making wills, estate plans, or decisions about what should happen to personal and financial assets after death.
Without a valid will; relating to an estate or succession in which no valid will exists.
"The children became involved in a long dispute over the intestate estate."
Common in legal and financial contexts, particularly with 'estate', 'succession', and the phrase 'die intestate'.
A person who dies without having made a valid will.
"By law, the intestate's assets are distributed to eligible relatives."
Primarily a legal term; the plural is 'intestates'.
The plural refers to people who die without having made a valid will.
"The intestates had not appointed executors or named beneficiaries."
Dying without a will can send an estate into the complicated legal process known as intestacy, where the law decides who inherits.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intestate come from?
The word comes from Latin intestatus, meaning 'without a will' or 'not having made a testament.' Its root is the same one found in testament, testate, and testator, all related to making or having a will. English borrowed the term into legal usage, where it developed its modern association with inheritance and estates.
Related word forms
How intestate is actually used
The adjective is commonly used in legal and financial contexts, especially in the phrases 'die intestate' and 'intestate estate'. The noun is less common and often appears in legal writing.
Easily confused with intestate
A testate person dies after making a valid will, whereas an intestate person dies without one.