trust

[ truhst ]

noun

1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

   Synonyms: faith, belief, certainty

2. confident expectation of something; hope.
3. confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit:

   to sell merchandise on trust.

4. a person on whom or thing on which one relies:

   God is my trust.

5. the condition of one to whom something has been entrusted.
6. the obligation or responsibility imposed on a person in whom confidence or authority is placed:

   a position of trust.

7. charge, custody, or care:

   to leave valuables in someone's trust.

8. something committed or entrusted to one's care for use or safekeeping, as an office, duty, or the like; responsibility; charge.

   Synonyms: commission, commitment

9. Law.
   1. a fiduciary relationship in which one person (the trustee) holds the title to property (the trust estate or trust property) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary).
   2. the property or funds so held.
10. Commerce.
    1. an illegal combination of industrial or commercial companies in which the stock of the constituent companies is controlled by a central board of trustees, a group of people who have assumed the authority to supervise the affairs of the constituent companies, thus making it possible to manage the companies so as to minimize production costs, control prices, eliminate competition, etc.
    2. any large industrial or commercial corporation or combination having a monopolistic or semimonopolistic control over the production of some commodity or service.
11. Archaic. reliability.

adjective

1. Law. of or relating to trusts or a trust.

verb (used without object)

1. to rely upon or place confidence in someone or something (usually followed by in or to ):

   to trust in another's honesty; trusting to luck.

2. to have confidence; hope:

   Things work out if one only trusts.

3. to sell merchandise on credit.

verb (used with object)

1. to have trust or confidence in; rely or depend on.
2. to believe.

   Synonyms: credit

3. to expect confidently; hope (usually followed by a clause or infinitive as object):

   trusting the job would soon be finished; trusting to find oil on the land.

4. to commit or consign with trust or confidence.

   Synonyms: entrust

5. to permit to remain or go somewhere or to do something without fear of consequences:

   He does not trust his children out of his sight.

6. to invest with a trust; entrust or charge with the responsibility for something:

   We trust her to improve the finances of the company within the year.

7. to give credit to (a person) for goods, services, etc., supplied:

   Will you trust us till payday?

verb phrase

1. to rely on; trust:

   Never trust to luck!

trust

/ trʌst /

noun

1. reliance on and confidence in the truth, worth, reliability, etc, of a person or thing; faith fiducial
2. a group of commercial enterprises combined to monopolize and control the market for any commodity: illegal in the US
3. the obligation of someone in a responsible position

   a position of trust

4. custody, charge, or care

   a child placed in my trust

5. a person or thing in which confidence or faith is placed
6. commercial credit
7. 1. an arrangement whereby a person to whom the legal title to property is conveyed (the trustee) holds such property for the benefit of those entitled to the beneficial interest
   2. property that is the subject of such an arrangement
   3. the confidence put in the trustee fiduciary
8. (in the British National Health Service) a self-governing hospital, group of hospitals, or other body providing health-care services, which operates as an independent commercial unit within the NHS
9. See trust company trust account
10. modifier of or relating to a trust or trusts

    trust property

verb

1. tr; may take a clause as object to expect, hope, or suppose

   I trust that you are well

2. whentr, may take an infinitive; when intr, often foll by in or to to place confidence in (someone to do something); have faith (in); rely (upon)

   I trust him to tell her

3. tr to consign for care

   the child was trusted to my care

4. tr to allow (someone to do something) with confidence in his or her good sense or honesty

   I trust my daughter to go

5. tr to extend business credit to

trust

1. A combination of firms or corporations for the purpose of reducing competition and controlling prices throughout a business or industry. Trusts are generally prohibited or restricted by antitrust legislation . ( Compare monopoly .)

Derived Forms

• ˈtruster, noun
• ˌtrustaˈbility, noun
• ˈtrustable, adjective

Other Words From

• trusta·ble adjective
• trusta·bili·ty noun
• truster noun
• non·trust noun
• over·trust verb
• self-trust noun
• un·trusta·ble adjective
• un·trusted adjective
• well-trusted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trust¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun from Old Norse traust “trust” (cognate with German Trost “comfort”); Middle English verb trusten, from Old Norse treysta, derivative of traust

Word History and Origins

Origin of trust¹

C13: from Old Norse traust ; related to Old High German trost solace

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in trust, in the position of being left in the care or guardianship of another:

   She left money to her uncle to keep in trust for her children.

More idioms and phrases containing trust

see brain trust ; in trust .

Synonym Study

Trust, assurance, confidence imply a feeling of security. Trust implies instinctive unquestioning belief in and reliance upon something: to have trust in one's parents. Confidence implies conscious trust because of good reasons, definite evidence, or past experience: to have confidence in the outcome of events. Assurance implies absolute confidence and certainty: to feel an assurance of victory.

Example Sentences

He said Mr Stockton called 999 shortly after he was left alone with Charlie in a "trusted position of responsibility" on the morning of 12 January, to say the boy had become "lifeless and floppy".

From BBC

We are long overdue for a reintroduction of the guidelines that offered some degree of trust in the fourth estate.

From Salon

Difficult to have any trust in Jets, who were absolutely manhandled by Arizona, but the Colts don’t have much to offer, either — plus, they’re on the road.

From Los Angeles Times

Getting messages about who to vote for from your pastor or faith leader, who you trust, is much more effective than getting that message from a stranger.

From Salon

A 2002 Gallup Poll found that 60% of the public said they trusted the government to “do what is right” about always or most of the time.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• count on
• depend on
• look to