executor
Americannoun
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a person who executes, carries out, or performs some duty, job, assignment, artistic work, etc.
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Law. a person named in a decedent's will to carry out the provisions of that will.
noun
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law a person appointed by a testator to carry out the wishes expressed in his will
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a person who executes
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of executor
1250–1300; Middle English executour < Latin execūtor, equivalent to execū ( tus ) ( see execute) + -tor, -tor; replacing Middle English esecutor < Anglo-French essecutour < Latin, as above
Compare meaning
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Explanation
You're most likely to hear the word executor in an attorney's office, since it means a person who is legally responsible for ensuring that a will's directions are followed. The executor of a will is in charge of making sure that people listed as beneficiaries — in other words, the people who inherit money or property — receive what has been willed to them. When writing a will, most people will choose a responsible adult to be executor. The Latin root, executionem, means "an accomplishing" or "a carrying out."
Vocabulary lists containing executor
The Westing Game
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Vocabulary from the Magna Carta on its 800th Anniversary
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Lifting as We Climb
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Their mother made Jerry her health proxy and Arnold the executor of her will, forcing in effect their cooperation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
James Deaver, Brent’s executor, said Brent rejected the request as excessive because hehad amassed the bulk of his fortune years before the couple wed.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
As executor, you have the right to a reasonable amount of time to probate the estate, and the beneficiaries will have to wait until that process is complete.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
I am the executor of a trust for my son with special needs.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026
Leeuwenhoek was the executor of Vermeer’s estate and a frequent visitor at the Huygens home in Hofwijck.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
