"a conferring, act of giving gratuitously," 1773, from bestow + -al (2). Alternative bestowment is from 1730.
Entries linking to bestowal
bestow v.
early 14c., bistowen "give, confer" (alms, etc.), from be- + stowen "to place" (see stow). Related: Bestowed; bestowing; bestower.
-al 2
suffix forming nouns of action from verbs, mostly from Latin and French, meaning "act of ______ing" (such as survival, referral), Middle English -aille, from French feminine singular -aille, from Latin -alia, neuter plural of adjective suffix -alis, also used in English as a noun suffix. Nativized in English and used with Germanic verbs (as in bestowal, betrothal).