advance directive

noun

1. a living will or durable power of attorney in which a person states their wishes regarding medical treatment in the event of mental incompetency or an inability to communicate.

advance directive

noun

1. another name for living will

Word History and Origins

Origin of advance directive¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

The design of most of the commonly used advance directives seems to bias people toward life extension.

From Time

Similarly, a pychiatric advance directive documents an individual’s mental health treatment preferences and enlists a proxy decision-maker should decision-making capacity be lost in the future.

From No Straight News

To be air tight, you need something called an “Advance Directive.”

From The Daily Beast