Vik and Goran have the power to appropriate another part of the estate to pay Ellen's pecuniary legacy provided it has not been specifically given to another beneficiary. Which word completes the sentence?

• A. Alienate
• B. Appoint
• C. Appropriate
• D. Assign

Answer: (C)

The main idea is the power to earmark part of the estate to cover a cash legacy. In wills, a pecuniary legacy is a fixed sum of money intended for a beneficiary. If the estate has not already been tied up by a specific bequest, the executors can set aside (or appropriate) a portion of the estate to pay that legacy — as long as that portion hasn’t been given to someone else by the will.

Appropriate fits because it means to designate or earmark assets for a particular purpose. It correctly describes the act of setting aside part of the estate to satisfy Ellen’s pecuniary legacy.

Alienate would mean transferring ownership to someone else, which isn’t about funding a legacy. Appoint would mean naming a person to receive something or to act in a role. Assign would mean transferring rights or obligations. None of those capture the idea of reserving part of the estate to pay a legacy the way appropriate does.