entrust

verb

en·​trust in-ˈtrəst How to pronounce entrust (audio)
en-
variants or less commonly
entrusted also intrusted; entrusting also intrusting; entrusts also intrusts

transitive verb

1
: to confer a trust on
especially : to deliver something in trust to
2
: to commit to another with confidence
entrustment noun
Choose the Right Synonym for entrust

commit, entrust, confide, consign, relegate mean to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose.

commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

Examples of entrust in a Sentence

She was entrusted with the job of organizing the reception. we entrusted our financial adviser with the investment of all of our savings
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The renovation was entrusted to Milan designer Andrea Auletta and his studio, preserving the heritage of the hotel and combining the property’s original architectural elements with contemporary items. Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025 Gazing at the lavish Italian-style gardens and intricate topiaries of the pope’s vast summer estate just outside of Rome, a local priest who immigrated to Waukegan from Mexico as a child marveled that he’s been entrusted with their care. Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025 Season 1 viewers understood the depths of the family’s trust in Thing when patriarch Gomez Addams (Luiz Guzmán) entrusted the appendage with looking out for his only daughter, Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), during her first semester at Nevermore Academy. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025 Global markets rely on the Fed being insulated from political pressure, and our market entrusts the Fed with containing inflation; if the Fed's independence is lost, the way its decisions are interpreted changes, and the individual decisions that comprise our market change as well. Isaac Saul, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for entrust

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of entrust was in 1586

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Entrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrust. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

entrust

verb
en·​trust in-ˈtrəst How to pronounce entrust (audio)
1
: to give into the care of another
entrust your savings to a bank
2
: to give custody, care, or charge of something to
entrust a bank with your savings
entrustment noun

Legal Definition

entrust

transitive verb
en·​trust
variants also intrust
1
: to deliver something to (a person) under a charge or duty
2
: to give (something) over to the care of another
specifically : to deliver to a merchant who may transfer ownership to a buyer in the ordinary course of business
used especially in the Uniform Commercial Code
see also negligent entrustment compare bail, consign
entrustment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on entrust

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