trust Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
    • he is the beneficiary of a generous trust set up by his father
  2. noun certainty based on past experience
    reliance.
    • he wrote the paper with considerable reliance on the work of other scientists
    • he put more trust in his own two legs than in the gun
  3. noun the trait of believing in the honesty and reliability of others
    trustingness; trustfulness.
    • the experience destroyed his trust and personal dignity
  4. noun a consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition by controlling the production and distribution of a product or service
    corporate trust; combine; cartel.
    • they set up the trust in the hope of gaining a monopoly
  5. noun complete confidence in a person or plan etc
    faith.
    • he cherished the faith of a good woman
    • the doctor-patient relationship is based on trust
  6. noun a trustful relationship
    confidence.
    • he took me into his confidence
    • he betrayed their trust
  7. verb have confidence or faith in
    rely; bank; swear.
    • We can trust in God
    • Rely on your friends
    • bank on your good education
    • I swear by my grandmother's recipes
  8. verb allow without fear
  9. verb be confident about something
    believe.
    • I believe that he will come back from the war
  10. verb expect and wish
    desire; hope.
    • I trust you will behave better from now on
    • I hope she understands that she cannot expect a raise
  11. verb confer a trust upon
    confide; entrust; intrust; commit.
    • The messenger was entrusted with the general's secret
    • I commit my soul to God
  12. verb extend credit to; I won't pay her debts anymore"
    • don't trust my ex-wife

WordNet

Trust noun
Etymology
OE. trust, trost, Icel. traust confidence, security; akin to Dan. & Sw. tröst comfort, consolation, G. trost, Goth. trausti a convention, covenant, and E. true. See True, and cf. Tryst.
Definitions
  1. Assured resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship, or other sound principle, of another person; confidence; reliance; reliance. "O ever-failing trust in mortal strength!" Milton.
    Most take things upon trust. Locke.
  2. Credit given; especially, delivery of property or merchandise in reliance upon future payment; exchange without immediate receipt of an equivalent; as, to sell or buy goods on trust.
  3. Assured anticipation; dependence upon something future or contingent, as if present or actual; hope; belief. "Such trust have we through Christ." 2 Cor. iii. 4.
    His trust was with the Eternal to be deemed Equal in strength. Milton.
  4. That which is committed or intrusted to one; something received in confidence; charge; deposit.
  5. The condition or obligation of one to whom anything is confided; responsible charge or office.
    [I] serve him truly that will put me in trust. Shak.
    Reward them well, if they observe their trust. Denham.
  6. That upon which confidence is reposed; ground of reliance; hope.
    O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth. Ps. lxxi. 5.
  7. (Law) An estate devised or granted in confidence that the devisee or grantee shall convey it, or dispose of the profits, at the will, or for the benefit, of another; an estate held for the use of another; a confidence respecting property reposed in one person, who is termed the trustee, for the benefit of another, who is called the cestui que trust.
  8. An organization formed mainly for the purpose of regulating the supply and price of commodities, etc.; as, a sugar trust. Cant Syn. -- Confidence; belief; faith; hope; expectation.
Trust adjective
Definitions
  1. Held in trust; as, trust property; trustmoney.
Trust transitive verb
Etymology
OE. trusten, trosten. See Trust, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Trusted; present participle & verbal noun Trusting
Definitions
  1. To place confidence in; to rely on, to confide, or repose faith, in; as, we can not trust those who have deceived us.
    I will never trust his word after. Shak.
    He that trusts every one without reserve will at last be deceived. Johnson.
  2. To give credence to; to believe; to credit.
    Trust me, you look well. Shak.
  3. To hope confidently; to believe; -- usually with a phrase or infinitive clause as the object.
    I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face. 2 John 12.
    We trustwe have a good conscience. Heb. xiii. 18.
  4. to show confidence in a person by intrusting (him) with something.
    Whom, with your power and fortune, sir, you trust, Now to suspect is vain. Dryden.
  5. To commit, as to one's care; to intrust.
    Merchants were not willing to trust precious cargoes to any custody but that of a man-of-war. Macaulay.
  6. To give credit to; to sell to upon credit, or in confidence of future payment; as, merchants and manufacturers trust their customers annually with goods.
  7. To risk; to venture confidently.
    [Beguiled] by thee to trust thee from my side. Milton.
Trust intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To have trust; to be credulous; to be won to confidence; to confide.
    More to know could not be more to trust. Shak.
  2. To be confident, as of something future; to hope.
    I will trust and not be afraid. Isa. xii. 2.
  3. To sell or deliver anything in reliance upon a promise of payment; to give credit.
    It is happier sometimes to be cheated than not to trust. Johnson.

Webster 1913