An executor is the person chosen in a will to carry out its provisions after death. The New York booklet gives the definition in exactly that practical sense: the executor is the named person responsible for implementation of the testamentary directions.
The natural comparison is with an administrator. An executor comes from the will itself. An administrator is appointed by the court when there is no will, or when the circumstances require an appointment outside the testator’s nomination. That distinction makes executor one of the most important estate words in the glossary.
Practical note: Notaries often encounter executor documents in probate-related affidavits, deeds, waivers, and powers. The term describes a legal role in estate administration; it is not a synonym for heir, beneficiary, or guardian.
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