French word

testament

Pronunciation

IPA/tɛstamɑ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounwill

Example

Elle a déposé son testament chez le notaire.

She left her will with the notary.

Illustration for testament (will)

More examples

Après son décès, la famille a ouvert le testament.

After his death, the family opened the will.

Core concept

A legally recognized document that records final wishes and allocates an estate.

Common phrases

  • mettre à jour son testament

    update one's will

  • ouvrir le testament

    open the will

  • laisser un testament

    leave a will

Similar words

dernières volontés: Wishes or instructions expressed during life for others to carry out after death.
héritage: Property and assets passed down from an ancestor or deceased person.
héritier: A person entitled to receive property from someone who has died.
succession: The process of settling and distributing a deceased person's estate.

Definition in French

Acte juridique écrit par lequel une personne fixe ses dernières volontés et prévoit la transmission de ses biens.

Word origin

Testament entered French through the medieval legal vocabulary of Old French from Latin testamentum, a noun related to testari, 'to testify'.

Usage tips

  • The usual French expression is faire un testament for 'make a will', while English 'testament' often has a broader or more literary sense.

Word lists with this word