What does executrices mean?
"Executrices" is the plural of "executrix," a legal term denoting women appointed under a will to carry out its provisions — that is, to administer the deceased person's estate, settle debts, and distribute property to beneficiaries. The word is strictly formal, belonging to the vocabulary of probate law, wills, and estates. It derives from the Latin feminine suffix "-trix" (also seen in "testatrix"), attached to the root of "execute," reflecting the executor's duty to execute, or carry out, the terms of the testament. In contemporary practice, the gendered form is falling out of favor: modern legal drafting tends toward the neutral "executor" or "personal representative" regardless of sex, so "executrices" appears most often in older wills or traditional jurisdictions. It remains useful for precise historical or legal reading — for example, when a nineteenth-century will names several women jointly responsible for winding up an estate.
nounThe plural of executrix: a woman appointed by a will to carry out its provisions and administer the estate of a deceased person.
- A woman appointed under a will to carry out its terms and administer the deceased person's estate.
"The two executrices named in the will arranged for the estate's assets to be distributed among the beneficiaries."
"Under the terms of the will, the testatrix named her two daughters as joint executrices."
"As sole executrix, she was responsible for paying the estate's debts before distributing what remained."
Executrices is itself the plural of the singular noun "executrix" (pronounced /ɪɡˈzɛkjʊtrɪks/, British; /ɪɡˈzɛkjətrɪks/, US).
"Three sisters served as the executrices of their mother's estate."
English keeps a feminine form for the person who executes your will — so if two women are settling an estate, the legal paperwork calls them 'executrices,' not 'executors.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of executrices
Executrices comes from the Latin feminine agent noun formed on "exequi" ("to follow out, carry out"), the same root that gives English "execute." The suffix "-trix" marks the feminine agent, exactly as in "testatrix" and "aviatrix." The term entered English legal usage through Anglo-Norman and Latin probate terminology, alongside "executor" and "testatrix." Its plural, "executrices," follows the Latin pattern retained in English legal Latin.
Related word forms
How executrices is actually used
Strictly formal and legal in register, appearing mainly in wills, probate documents, and legal commentary. The feminine ending '-trix' (as in 'testatrix') is increasingly avoided in modern drafting, with gender-neutral terms such as 'executor' or 'personal representative' now preferred; 'executrices' is therefore encountered chiefly in older or traditionally drafted documents.
Easily confused with executrices
Executors is the general or masculine plural; executrices specifically denotes female executors.