a gift of personal property by will. A devise ordinarily passes real estate, and a bequest passes personal property. see legacy CONDITIONAL BEQUEST: a bequest that depends upon the occurrence or nonoccurrence of a particular event. EXECUTORY BEQUEST: a bequest of personalty or money that does not take effect until the happening of some future event, upon which it is contingent RESIDUARY BEQUEST: a bequest consisting of the remainder of an estate after the payment of debts and of general legacies and other specific gifts SPECIFIC BEQUEST: a bequest of particular items, or of a part of a testator's estate that can be distinguished from all others of the same kind, which may be satisfied only by delivery of the particular thing (given by the will) and not merely by a corresponding amount in value or similar property. Source: Barron's Dictionary of Legal Terms, Steven H. Gifis, 5th Edition; © 2016