advance directive

noun

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

See living will
another name for living will

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Word History and Origins

Origin of advance directive¹

First recorded in 1980–85

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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

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