will

Compared meaning: a legal document leaving property after death (noun).

比较义项：遗嘱（名词）。

• will 本词

  The common, everyday legal term for the document; used on its own in speech and law, e.g. 'draw up a will'.

  指该文件的日常、常用法律说法；可单独使用（如“draw up a will”，起草遗嘱）。

  He wrote a new will after his divorce, leaving the house to his daughter.

  离婚后，他立了一份新的 will，把房子留给了女儿。

• testament

  A more formal or literary synonym, almost always used in the fixed phrase 'last will and testament' rather than alone.

  更正式或书面的说法，几乎总是出现在固定搭配“last will and testament”中，而不单独使用。

  The old man's last will and testament named his nephew as the sole heir.

  这位老人最后的 will 和 testament 指定他的侄子为唯一继承人。

Will and testament can both mean the legal document that leaves property after death. Will is the common, everyday legal term, usable alone in speech and law. Testament is more formal and literary, almost always used in the fixed phrase last will and testament.

这两个词在“遗嘱”这一义项上意思相近，但语域不同：will 是日常和法律中最常用的说法，可以单独使用；testament 更正式、更书面，几乎总是出现在固定搭配“last will and testament”中，单独使用较少。这里不比较 will 表示“将要”（情态动词）或“意愿”的用法，也不比较 testament 表示“证明，证据”（如 a testament to sth）的用法。

Compared meaning: leave property to someone in a will (verb).

比较义项：立遗嘱把财产留给某人（动词）。

• will 本词

  More formal and less common than bequeath; almost always appears as 'willed' (past tense) to avoid clashing with the modal verb 'will', and stays literal — used only for concrete property or money, never figurative legacies.

  比bequeath更正式、更少见，几乎只以过去式"willed"出现，以避免与情态动词will（将要）混淆；且只用于具体的财产或金钱，不用于比喻性的精神遗产。

  The elderly duke willed his castle to a distant cousin he'd never met.

  这位年迈的公爵把城堡遗留给了一个他从未见过的远房表亲。

• bequeath

  The standard, everyday verb for leaving property in a will; unlike 'will', it also extends figuratively to non-material things such as skills, values, or an artistic legacy.

  是表示"通过遗嘱留下财产"的常用标准动词；与will不同，它还可以比喻性地用于技能、价值观或艺术遗产等非物质事物。

  The composer bequeathed a rich legacy of symphonies to future generations.

  这位作曲家把丰富的交响乐遗产留给了后世。

Will and bequeath both mean leaving property to someone through a will. Will as a verb is rare, almost always appearing as willed, and is used only for concrete property. Bequeath is the standard, everyday verb, also used figuratively for skills or values.

这两个词都表示通过遗嘱把财产留给某人，但语气和常用度不同：will（动词）较为正式、少见，几乎只以过去式"willed"出现，以避免与情态动词will（将要）混淆，且只能用于具体财产；bequeath更为常见，除具体财产外，还可比喻性地用于留下精神遗产等抽象事物。这里不比较will作为情态动词（表示将要）或名词（意志、遗嘱）的其他用法。