codicil

noun

cod·​i·​cil ˈkä-də-səl 

-ˌsil

1

: a legal instrument made to modify an earlier will

2

: appendix, supplement

codicillary

ˌkä-də-ˈsi-lə-rē 

adjective

Did you know?

A codicil is literally a "little codex," a little bit of writing on a small piece of writing material, used to add to or change something about a larger piece of writing. A codicil to a will can change the terms of the original will completely, so it generally requires witnesses just like the will itself, though in some states a handwritten codicil may not. In mystery novels, such changes have been known to cause murders; in real life, codicils aren't usually quite that exciting.

Synonyms

• addendum
• afterword
• appendix
• excursus
• supplement

Examples of codicil in a Sentence

a codicil to the treaty was necessary to clarify certain provisos that had proved to be ambiguous

Recent Examples on the Web

Catalin Moreno Voss, Ello’s co-founder and chief technology officer, had heard a lot of interesting stories and codicils from job applicants in his career. —Stacy St Clair, The Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2024

This seemed to me to breach some fundamental codicil of the documentary filmmaker code: to show some version of the truth in their work, to endeavor for verisimilitude whenever and wherever possible. —Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 5 July 2024

And there are numerous codicils to the julep making process. —Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2024

The 2016 codicil had a startling effect. —Dallas News, 22 Jan. 2023

Sign a codicil or a new will with all the required formalities. —Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2022

Besides a codicil in Ray Davis’ will, the price of signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien was a second- and third-round choice, and despite that penalty the Rangers still finagled a first-round value in the fourth. —Dallas News, 20 July 2022

The codicil — which is to be found in the same reality that gave rise to the concept of a casual restaurant — is not to disturb other diners. —Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2021

In 1990 Donald secretly enlisted a lawyer to draft a codicil to the will of his father, Fred Sr. —Anne Diebel, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Middle English codicill, from Anglo-French *codicille, from Latin codicillus, diminutive of codic-, codex

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

codicil

noun

cod·​i·​cil ˈkä-də-səl, -ˌsil 

: a formally executed document made after a will that adds to, subtracts from, or changes the will see also republish

Etymology

Latin codicillus, literally, writing tablet, diminutive of codic-, codex book see code