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Fiduciary relationships are often of the financial variety, but the word fiduciary does not, in and of itself, suggest pecuniary ("money-related") matters. Rather, fiduciary applies to any situation in which one person justifiably places confidence and trust in someone else, and seeks that person's help or advice in some matter. The attorney-client relationship is a fiduciary one, for example, because the client trusts the attorney to act in the best interest of the client at all times. Fiduciary can also be used as a noun referring to the person who acts in a fiduciary capacity, and fiduciarily or fiducially can be called upon if you are in need of an adverb. The words are all faithful to their origin: Latin fīdere, which means "to trust."
Examples of fiduciary in a Sentence
Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2023
In California, disputes over breaches of contract and fiduciary duty must be lodged within four years, or else the plaintiff forfeits their right to a grievance.
—Joel Khalili, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023
Churches generally do not owe fiduciary duties to their members.
—Samuel Brunson, The Conversation, 8 Nov. 2023
These fee-only, fiduciary professionals typically charge less than a comprehensive financial planner does and could be a good fit for those with simpler needs.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2023
Since your information at this point seems to fall well short of that standard of proof and include some panicked speculation, start by securing the expertise of a fiduciary financial adviser.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
The counts listed in the suit are violations of the Exchange Act, breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, abuse of control, and gross management.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2023
Your discount brokerage may offer access to fiduciary advisors for a fee or in exchange for investing a certain amount of money.
—Liz Weston, oregonlive, 25 June 2023
Like there's a breach of a whole host of consumer finance and fiduciary duties.
—Gideon Lichfield, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2023
Bernice Napach, wsj.com, 24 Oct. 2023
This is about being a fiduciary to all the stakeholders that are important to a company.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2023
Another example: The idea of fiduciaries investing in the venture capital industry was once considered heresy.
—Roy Swan, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2023
In the House, Republicans just passed a bill that would reverse a Labor Department rule recognizing that retirement fiduciaries may use ESG when evaluating investments.
—Chuck Schumer, WSJ, 28 Feb. 2023
Previously, fiduciaries had to invest based on the best rate of return.
—Alexander Hall, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2023
The consumers that politicians claim to be protecting want renewables
Undeniably, climate change presents the type of material financial risks that fiduciaries must consider.
—Cynthia Hanawalt, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2023
The rule allows, though not requires, fiduciaries to weigh ESG factors when making investment decisions for retirement accounts.
—Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner, 1 Mar. 2023
During Friday’s hearing, Assistant US Attorney Dustin Chao presented documents showing that Cannon-Grant applied to become her father’s fiduciary in October, but didn’t seek permission from the court until February.
—Shelley Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fiduciary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Adjective
borrowed from Latin fīdūciārius "holding in trust, of a trustee, (of property) held on trust," from fīdūcia "transference of a property on trust, trust, reliance, confidence" (from *fīdūcus "trusting" —from fīdere "to trust [in], have confidence [in]" + -ūcus, deverbal adjective suffix— + -ia -ia entry 1) + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at faith entry 1
Noun
borrowed from Medieval Latin fīdūciārius, noun derivative of Latin fīdūciārius, adjective, "holding in trust, of a trustee" — more at fiduciary entry 1
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Cite this Entry
“Fiduciary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiduciary. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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Legal Definition
fiduciary
1 of 2 noun
fiduciary
2 of 2 adjectiveAdjective
Latin fiduciarius, from fiducia trust, transfer of a property on trust
More from Merriam-Webster on fiduciary
Nglish: Translation of fiduciary for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of fiduciary for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fiduciary
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