intestate person; person who died without a will
Legal term for a deceased person who did not leave a valid will. Used in inheritance and probate contexts.
The estate of an intestate person is distributed according to the statutory shares of inheritance.
Compound of 無 (mu, 'without'), 遺言 (yuigon, 'will'), 死亡 (shibō, 'death'), and 者 (sha, 'person'). A straightforward legal term.