executor

American  

[ig-zek-yuh-ter, ek-si-kyoo-ter] / ɪgˈzɛk yə tər, ˈɛk sɪˌkyu tər /

noun

1. a person who executes, carries out, or performs some duty, job, assignment, artistic work, etc.

2. Law. a person named in a decedent's will to carry out the provisions of that will.

---

executor British  

/ ɪɡˈzɛkjʊtə /

noun

1. law a person appointed by a testator to carry out the wishes expressed in his will

2. a person who executes

---

Other Word Forms

• executorial adjective
• executorship noun
• preexecutor noun
• subexecutor noun
• unexecutorial adjective

Etymology

Origin of executor

1250–1300; Middle English executour < Latin execūtor, equivalent to execū ( tus ) ( execute ) + -tor, -tor; replacing Middle English esecutor < Anglo-French essecutour < Latin, as above

Compare meaning

How does executor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• executor vs. executrix

Example Sentences

When we married, he amended the trust, made me the executor, and left me 75%, with the remaining 25% going to his sister.

From MarketWatch

“I’m the executor of Mr. George Harris’s will.”

From Literature

This pursuit of this truth makes him not only a liberating literary executor but also a worthy moral educator.

From Los Angeles Times

As AI’s capabilities shift from chatbot to autonomous executor, the stakes shift from tech glitches to major life disruptions.

From MarketWatch

I will become the executor of the trust, and I want to address this issue proactively before it becomes urgent.

From MarketWatch