living will

Definition of living will

: a document in which the signer requests to be allowed to die rather than be kept alive by artificial means if disabled beyond a reasonable expectation of recovery — compare advance directive

Examples of living will in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Do not put funeral directives in either a will or living will. — Washington Post, "Hints From Heloise: Framing family memories," 20 Nov. 2020 Areas where the does are living will be easy to find as there will be plenty of droppings littering the woods. — Hal Blood, Outdoor Life, "3 Great Places to Take a Stand in the Big Woods," 10 Nov. 2020 Independent living will range from $4,000 to $8,000 monthly depending on market rates and the size of the unit. — Kimberly Fornek, chicagotribune.com, "Hinsdale Village Board sees revised plan for Ryan Cos. Senior Residences," 16 Sep. 2020 Many clients are concerned about how their advance directive, also known as a living will or physician’s directive, works in times like these. — Houston Chronicle, "Elder Law: How well is your estate plan prepared for the pandemic?," 21 Aug. 2020 Some clients are adamant that intubation never takes place; other clients want to make sure that they can be intubated even with their living will in place. — Houston Chronicle, "Elder Law: How well is your estate plan prepared for the pandemic?," 21 Aug. 2020 On-campus living will be restricted to Euclid Commons or Fenn Tower, with students housed in individual, private rooms to guard against spread of the virus. — Emily Bamforth, cleveland, "Cleveland State University announces fall re-opening plan; daily health checks, private bedrooms for students," 23 June 2020 Like Bai, many worry about spreading the disease to their patients and loved ones; young medical residents are advising one another to write living wills. — Jillian Mock, Scientific American, "Psychological Trauma Is the Next Crisis for Coronavirus Health Workers," 20 May 2020 And only 18% of respondents had the three essential estate planning documents: a will, a living will, and powers of attorney. — Natalie Walters And Nino Abdaladze, azcentral, "Facing a new reality, more people race to finish wills, powers of attorney," 15 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'living will.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Living will.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/living%20will. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for living will

living will

noun

English Language Learners Definition of living will

law : a document in which you say what medical decisions should be made if you become too sick or injured to make those decisions

See the full definition for living will in the English Language Learners Dictionary

living will

noun

Medical Definition of living will

: a document in which the signer requests to be allowed to die rather than be kept alive by artificial means in the event of becoming disabled beyond a reasonable expectation of recovery — see advance directive

living will

noun

liv·ing will

Legal Definition of living will

: a document in which the signer indicates preferences or directions for the administration and especially the withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining medical treatment in the event of terminal illness or permanent unconsciousness — see also advance directive — compare health care power of attorney at power of attorney