Executry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A legal term describing the process of administering a deceased person's estate, including the settling of debts and the distribution of assets
2. Referring to the fiduciary responsibilities involved in managing the estate of a deceased individual until its final settlement
3. Pertaining to the entire procedure of dealing with a decedent's property and obligations in accordance with probate law

Etymology: "Executry" is a Scots-law term, formed by adding the suffix "-y" to "executor," the person named to carry out a deceased person's will. The "-y" ending, which turns a person-word into a word for the office, function or body of affairs attached to that person, is the same pattern seen in words like "secretary" and "presidency." Here it names the whole business of administering a dead person's estate until it is finally settled. The word is attested in the Oxford English Dictionary, which records it as a noun in its own right. Because it is a transparent derivative, its meaning follows directly from its parts: the executor's duties, taken as a set of responsibilities rather than as a single person.