executor

Executor

An individual or trust institution nominated in a will and appointed by a court to settle the estate of a deceased person.

Executor/Executrix

A person who administers the estate of a deceased person. The executor (if male) or executrix (if female) is responsible for gathering all of the decedent's assets and giving them to the appropriate beneficiaries. He/she is often a family member or lawyer who is either appointed in the decedent's will or by a court. The executor/executrix has a fiduciary responsibility to act on behalf of the decedent and to fulfill, as closely as possible, the wishes set forth in the will. Persons under 18 and convicted felons cannot serve as executors.

executor

One named in a will to fulfill the wishes of a decedent regarding the disposition of assets. Today, the word refers to both males and females serving in that capacity. At one time, executor referred only to males,and the female was called an executrix.