A plain-language definition, not a conclusion about a document or case. Read the term in its full legal context.
Plain-English meaning
Advance Directive
A document that records health-care instructions or names a person to make health decisions when the signer cannot communicate or decide.
Why the term matters
It can guide clinicians and family members during incapacity, but form names and signing rules differ by state.
Do not confuse it with
A living will states treatment preferences; a health-care power of attorney appoints an agent. A state may combine them.