Widow's Election Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Widow's Election.

Widow's Election (noun):

This is a rule that gives a wife the right to choose how she inherits property when her husband dies. She can either accept what her husband's will says, or she can take what the state law says a wife should get when her husband dies without a will. It's like a fork in the road and she gets to decide which path to take.