A codicil is a later instrument that modifies a will. The New York booklet describes it as an instrument made subsequent to a will and modifying it in some respects. It is, in effect, a will amendment executed in formal written form.
This term matters because estate documents often come in layers. A will may still stand as the principal testamentary instrument, while a codicil adjusts one part of it—changing an executor, revising a gift, or updating some other direction. The codicil does not automatically replace the whole will unless its own terms or the governing law have that effect.
Why it matters: For notary and probate vocabulary, the important distinction is between the original dispositive document and the supplementary instrument that alters it. A codicil belongs with will terminology, not with powers of attorney, deeds, or affidavits.
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