trust
/trʌst
/noun [mass noun]
1Firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something: relations have to be built on trust they have been able to win the trust of the others...
- Although recent events may have combined to erode this trust and our belief in its abilities, we must strive to recall how effective a therapeutic tool it once was.
- I am staying strong within my faith, trust and beliefs as I grow spiritually.
- There is probably nothing worse than the betrayal of trust and belief.
Synonyms
confidence, belief, faith, freedom from suspicion/doubt, sureness, certainty, certitude, assurance, conviction, credence, reliance
1.1Acceptance of the truth of a statement without evidence or investigation: I used only primary sources, taking nothing on trust...
- There's life in Munster yet, even if we are taking it more on trust than on hard evidence.
- As well, the heart of his case was that much of the evidence needed to be accepted on trust.
- Secondly, to be completely autonomous is to not take any statement on trust or recognize authority.
1.2The state of being responsible for someone or something: a man in a position of trust...
- I have a really difficult time with teachers and people in positions of authority, trust and responsibility.
- Many of them are in high-profile positions of responsibility and trust in the areas of computer security and law enforcement.
- These are serious offences bearing in mind the position of trust and responsibility in which a teacher is placed.
Synonyms
responsibility, duty, obligation
1.3 [count noun] literary A person or duty for which one has responsibility: rulership is a trust from God...
- If you believe this place, this planet, is a trust of God, what will you make of it?
- The sensitivity of the sultan concerning the welfare of his subjects was founded on the Islamic concept that "the subjects of a ruler are a trust of God."
- They give generously to others, saying that whatever they have is a trust from above.
2 [count noun] Law An arrangement whereby a person (a trustee) holds property as its nominal owner for the good of one or more beneficiaries: a trust was set up [mass noun]: the property is to be held in trust for his son...
- He settles that property on trusts which give his wife an initial interest in possession for her life or 3 months whichever is the shorter.
- Council currently has around 13 per cent of its funds in shares, bonds and property trusts.
- If the property is held in trust and a person has a beneficial interest in it, I suppose that person can sell that beneficial interest.
Synonyms
safe keeping, keeping, protection, charge, care, custody;
trusteeship, guardianship
2.1A body of trustees.‘For a recommendation to be implemented, it has to be supported by a trust or other body with influence,’ he said....
- This has worked elsewhere, especially with civic trusts and other well organised groups.
- In addition to IBCs, there are limited partnerships and trusts, all of which are exempt from taxation.
2.2An organization or company managed by trustees: a charitable trust [in names]: the National Trust...
- The family now uses more than 100 trusts, including numerous charitable trusts, to manage its money.
- A limited company formed by a charitable trust founded by a consortium of scientists and growers which has been renting the site is now close to clinching a deal to buy it.
- They also propose creating unified health and social work budgets to be managed by community health trusts.
3 [count noun] US dated A large company that has or attempts to gain monopolistic control of a market.He would himself use the language of Progressive era reform rhetoric to mold Storrow and those who supported him as men of money, monopolies and trusts....
- The organisation has asked for our help in cracking down on abusive corporations, abusive trusts and tax shelters.
- Many trusts now enter the market to buy their own shares and support the price if their value drops by more than 10% under the NAV.
4West Indian or archaic Commercial credit: my master lived on trust at an alehouse...
- Of course, reliance on credit and trust posed its dangers, exposing the economy to financial collapse as in 1847 and 1866.
- Gary lived on trust and by sharing both muscle and skills, not money, although he had a master's degree in business.
- The Officer called his supervisor who told him to leave until they could determine whether Mr. Bess lived on trust or fee land.
5 [count noun] archaic A hope or expectation: all the great trusts of womanhood...
- Women were the 'conscience of the world', social reform concerned women because it touched on all the great trusts of womanhood, the sanctity of the family, the purity of marriage, the sweet innocence of children.
- The needs and tasks and trusts of manhood would be sheltered in reflexive habits throughout his life, performed when necessary, so that he might go about the work of his life... seeing the world as a child.
- The profound responsibility of parenthood, the devout sacrifices of wedlock, the simple trusts of childhood, demand that the inviolable sanctities of marriage shall be kept scrupulously pure.
verb [with object]
1Believe in the reliability, truth, or ability of: I should never have trusted her [with object and infinitive]: he can be trusted to carry out an impartial investigation (as adjective trusted) a trusted adviser...
- The hard truth is that we cannot trust our own abilities to bring about the kind of faith that transforms our lives.
- We've entered a new world of politics now, where no one can be trusted and the truth doesn't matter.
- In order to do that one needs the ability to trust others, to know how to communicate, to freely discuss and also how to adapt to others and to new situations.
Synonyms
have faith in, put/place one's trust in, have (every) confidence in, believe in, pin one's hopes/faith on;
rely on, depend on, bank on, count on, be sure of, be convinced by, swear by;
confide in
1.1 (trust someone with) Allow someone to have, use, or look after (someone or something of importance or value) with confidence: I’d trust you with my life...
- The sort of job it is, means you're the person that whenever you go out to the farmer, he is putting all his confidence in you, trusting you with his livelihood.
- People trusted him with their most confidential matters and valued his advice and encouragement.
- In that stillness, the vastness of the energy touched deep seeds of consciousness in them as they trusted me with their confidences and secrets.
Synonyms
entrust, put in the hands of, allow to look after/use
1.2 (trust someone/thing to) Commit someone or something to the safekeeping of: they don’t like to trust their money to anyone outside the family...
- She has been investing in tax-efficient savings schemes for many years and currently trusts her money to an individual savings account with Intelligent Finance.
- Every time we go on an aeroplane for instance, we are trusting our lives to computers in the cockpit and at air traffic control centres.
- When he's talking about the retrospective, it seems as if he's incapable of letting go and trusting his work to others.
Synonyms
consign, commit, give, hand over, turn over, assign, commend
1.3 [with clause] Have confidence; hope (used as a polite formula in conversation): I trust that you have enjoyed this book...
- We hope and trust that workers have learnt a lesson and in future will reflect and weight all the pros and cons before deciding to down tools.
- I hope and trust that this debate will be furthered and continued by other participants.
- I hope and trust that you can salvage your friendships/relationships with the truly penitent.
Synonyms
hope, expect, think likely, dare say, imagine, believe, assume, presume, suppose, take it
informal guess
1.4 [no object] Have faith or confidence: she trusted in the powers of justice...
- They have told of faithful Daniel who trusted in the Lord
- They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
- I trusted in the system, I trusted in God and it's paid off.
1.5 [no object] (trust to) Place reliance on (luck, fate, or chance): I hurtled down the path, trusting to luck that I wouldn’t put a foot wrong...
- He gets off the train any old place, trusting to luck, and goes around the platform accosting one person after another, each time mumbling the same syllables: bou bournous…
- What we have just witnessed is a humble attempt to train the nation to choose and decide, to encourage people to think about their problems, stop trusting to fate and begin asking questions.
- Sven has no intention of trusting to luck.
2 archaic Allow credit to (a customer): all persons are forbid to trust my wife, Sarah...
- All persons whatsoever are forbid to trust her on his account, for he will pay no debts of her contracting from the date hereof.
- Therefore know ye, all whom it may concern, that the mal-conduct of the said Isaac, has been and still is such, that I am determined not to be liable in any way, directly or indirectly to be called on, on his account, and all persons are forbid to trust him on the faith of my credit.
Phrases
not trust someone as far as one can throw them
trust someone to ——
Derivatives
trustable
- Today I am going to send the following hypothetical scenario to a reliable, trustable editor friend of mine…
- We need trustable and honest people working with us like partners.
- I know that you may feel that you shouldn't believe us, because he's on a wanted poster, and police are more trustable than regular, unemployed teenagers.
truster
- There are more trusters than doubters, but the gap is perilously close for such a high-risk war plan.
- When there is trust, the truster is made vulnerable, while the trusted is invested with some degree of discretionary power: he is trusted precisely over those areas for which there is not full, pre-established, contractual agreement.
- The truster is at risk of being let down, disillusioned, or betrayed because the truster relies on the trusted.
Origin
Middle English: from Old Norse traust, from traustr 'strong'; the verb from Old Norse treysta, assimilated to the noun.