probate

English

Etymology

From Middle English probate, from Latin probatus, past participle of probare (“to test, examine, judge of”); see probe, prove.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹəʊbeɪt/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹəʊbɪt/, /ˈpɹəʊbət/
• Rhymes: -əʊbeɪt

Noun

probate (countable and uncountable, plural probates)

1. (law) The legal process of verifying the legality of a will.
   • 1981 December 1, Micheline Justman, “Man Defends Erie Gay Will”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 20, page 15:

     The probate file reveals that Stephen Tetuan, attorney for the estate and author of McBride's will, wrote to Lemieux on Auust 29, 1984, encouraging him "to serve as trustee and to retain local counsel to represent your interests as trustee."

2. (law) A copy of a legally recognised and qualified will.
3. Clipping of probate court.
4. (obsolete) Proof.
   • a. 1529, John Skelton, Garlande of Laurell:

     Macrobius that did trete
     Of Scipions dreme what was the treu probate

Translations

legal process of verifying the legality of a will

• Bulgarian: легализиране n (legalizirane)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 遺囑檢驗／遗嘱检验 (yízhǔ jiǎnyàn), 遺囑認證／遗嘱认证 (yízhǔ rènzhèng)

• Finnish: testamentin vahvistaminen
• German: Testamantseröffnung f
• Hungarian: hagyatéki eljárás, örökösödési eljárás, végrendelet bírói hitelesítése/megerősítése
• Maori: whakamananga wira, whakamanatanga wira
• Russian: утвержде́ние завеща́ния (utverždénije zaveščánija)

copy of a legally recognised will

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 經檢驗的遺囑文本／经检验的遗嘱文本 (jīng jiǎnyàn de yízhǔ wénběn)

• Finnish: vahvistettu testamentti
• German: Testamentsabschrift f
• Russian: please add this translation if you can

probate court — see probate court

Verb

probate (third-person singular simple present probates, present participle probating, simple past and past participle probated)

1. (transitive) To establish the legality of (a will).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• probate court
• probate duty
• probate judge
• probate law

Related terms

• probe
• probation
• prove

Translations

establish the legality of a will

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 檢驗／检验 (zh) (jiǎnyàn), 認證／认证 (zh) (rènzhèng)

• Finnish: vahvistaa testamentti
• Hungarian: bíróilag megerősít/hitelesít
• Russian: please add this translation if you can

Further reading

• “probate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “probate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Danish

Adjective

probate

1. inflection of probat:
   1. definite singular
   2. plural

Latin

Verb

probāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of probō

Spanish

Verb

probate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of probar combined with te