living will

noun

1. a document instructing physicians, relatives, or others to refrain from the use of extraordinary measures, as life-support equipment, to prolong one's life in the event of a terminal illness.

living will

noun

1. a document stating that if its author becomes terminally ill, his or her life should not be prolonged by artificial means, such as a life-support machine

Word History and Origins

Origin of living will¹

First recorded in 1970–75