trust
noun
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Definition of trust
(Entry 1 of 2)
trust
verbDefinition of trust (Entry 2 of 2)
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Other Words from trust
Verb
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adjective
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adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for trust
Synonyms: Noun
confidence, credence, faith, stock
Synonyms: Verb
assign, charge, commission, entrust (also intrust), task
Antonyms: Noun
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Examples of trust in a Sentence
Noun
A hope is more than resolve, and it is based on trust in a divine faithfulness that operates not only within history, but also beyond history. — John Polkinghorne, Times Literary Supplement, 3 May 2002 Put not your trust in money, but put your money in trust. — Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, 1858 Our relationship is founded on mutual love and trust. His lies and deception shattered my trust in him. She has no trust in the security of online banking. He created a trust for his children. The property will be held in trust until her 18th birthday. laws limiting the formation of trustsVerb
It is these questions which define the crisis confronting the CIA—an increasingly clear-eyed skepticism among legislators, commentators, the broad general public, and the rest of the world that American intelligence officials, when they are under pressure, can be trusted to call them as they see them. — Thomas Powers, New York Review of Books, 29 Apr. 2004 Perhaps Hollywood can't be trusted to make Hollywood-style movies anymore. — Richard Corliss, Time, 13 Dec. 2004 Whenever Eugenides presses on his themes this way, he bruises them; he stops trusting in his tale, apparently unaware that its very form incarnates its theme better than can any commentary. — James Wood, New Republic, 7 Oct. 2002 The strong man, or the junta or the plutocracy could no more be trusted with a monopoly on power than the commissariat. — Kevin Baker, Harper's, May 2001 Nagumo also trusted in the complicated battle plan for the Midway operation, which called for a diversionary raid on Alaska's Aleutian Island chain, to draw off American naval strength. — David M. Kennedy, Atlantic, March 1999 Working together is going to be difficult if you don't trust each other. “Are you sure this will work?” “Trust me. I know what I'm doing.” If you have a problem, tell your parent, teacher, or someone else you trust. I should never have trusted him. Their company is a trusted name in quality appliances. Don't trust everything you read. You can't trust the rumors. You should trust your instincts and do what you think is right.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Polling for Democracy Collaborative indicates that people like the idea: about 55% of American voters support putting up to half of a company’s shares in a trust for workers. — The Economist, "The winner (no longer) takes it all," 15 June 2019 There was a trust level between them, Dorsuleski said. — Meredith Colias-pete, Post-Tribune, "Merrillville teen, 16, killed in Xbox robbery remembered as a prankster, avid gamer," 15 June 2019 For now, Freed says Bamboo is following the Amazon playbook: trying to build something customers — that is, kids and parents — want to use, and trust that the rest will sort itself out. — Matt Day, latimes.com, "Alexa in the classroom? Amazon’s voice assistant leads kids’ story time," 14 June 2019 Ownership of the franchise is held in a trust Bowlen set up more than a decade ago in hopes one of his seven children will one day run the team. — Washington Post, "Broncos owner Pat Bowlen dies at 75 before Hall enshrinement," 14 June 2019 Information world war: Renee DiResta, fellow in media, misinformation and trust at Mozilla, on the stakes for democracies that value free speech amid efforts by state actors and and extremists to sow discord and erode shared reality. — SFChronicle.com, "Bay Area political events: Impeachment rallies, racial justice," 14 June 2019 For now, Freed says Bamboo is following the Amazon playbook: trying to build something customers — that is, kids and parents — want to use, and trust that the rest will sort itself out. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Alexa in the classroom? Amazon’s voice assistant leads kids’ story time," 14 June 2019 Team building is taken to a whole new level with bimonthly excursions to build camaraderie and trust, such as hot air balloon rides, swimming with dolphins, ATV tours and an overnight trip to Prescott. — Leigh Farr, azcentral, "Small Company Rankings," 13 June 2019 Because if that trust didn’t exist, there’s no way this contract would have been pushed across the goal-line earlier this week. — Albert Breer, SI.com, "Why Carson Wentz’s Contract Extension Is More Complex Than Most Realize," 13 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Beloved in his hometown, Ortiz traveled the dangerous streets of the Dominican capital with little or no security, trusting his fans to protect him, according to friends. — Houston Chronicle, "Six suspects, including gunman, arrested in David Ortiz shooting," 12 June 2019 Zune is what Guatemalans call desconfiado, someone who doesn’t trust easily. — Rachel Nolan, Harper's magazine, "Destined for Export," 10 June 2019 Be confident about your interpretation of the script, trust your instincts, and be swift and decisive. — Janet Mock, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Pose' Writer-Producer: What I Learned From My First Directing Experience (Guest Column)," 7 June 2019 Even the person June trusts most in Gilead seems to be getting set up as a villain. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Empty Empowerment of The Handmaid’s Tale," 5 June 2019 Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation. — Ed Stetzer, Vox, "Fellow evangelicals: stop falling for Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric," 6 Nov. 2018 By pairing revitalizing oils with meditative mantras, Dynasty stays centered by listening to her body and trusting her intuition. — Dianca London Potts, SELF, "8 Modern Witches Share Their Daily Beauty Rituals," 11 Apr. 2019 The idea of a bookstore proprietor entering your home and taking your books because their store has closed down makes no sense, yet that is the risk customers take when trusting their media completely to streaming. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Microsoft Is Closing Its Ebook Store and Taking the Books With It," 2 Apr. 2019 Here’s another important constituency that doesn’t trust Google much: the European Union. — Dieter Bohn, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Google," 26 Dec. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trust.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for trust
bypass trust
nounFinancial Definition of bypass trust
What It Is
Also called a credit-shelter trust, a bypass trust is a method of passing assets to beneficiaries without subjecting those assets to estate taxes.
How It Works
Let's say John Doe owns a horse farm worth $11 million. He wants to pass the farm down to his son, James, when he dies. He does not have much in the way of cash -- all of his assets are in the farm.
John puts the farm in a bypass trust. Then he dies and James inherits the farm. James works the farm for 40 years, and then he dies and leaves the farm to his son, Jake.
Because the farm is in a bypass trust, James has to pay estate taxes on the farm when he inherits it from John, but Jake does not have to pay estate taxes on the farm when he inherits it from James. This is a good thing, because James has already paid estate taxes on the farm. Making Jake pay estate taxes again on the farm would amount to double taxation.
A bypass trust is irrevocable, meaning that once John puts the farm into a trust for James, he can't undo it. They also come with certain limits. For example, James must have restricted rights to liquidate the farm's assets, and John must specify in the trust what James can do financially in that regard. John can also control who James may leave the farm to.
Why It Matters
Bypass trusts help parents pass assets to children or other beneficiaries (or spouses pass assets to each other) in a manner that prevents the assets from being subjected to estate tax multiple times. However, because they are irrevocable, the decision to put assets in a bypass trust is one that must be made carefully. Also, the IRS sets forth specific wording that must be used in bypass trusts in order for them to "count," so it is important to use an experienced estate attorney when creating a bypass trust.
Source: Investing Answers
dry trust
nounFinancial Definition of dry trust
What It Is
Also called a naked trust or a passive trust, with a dry trust, a person transfers assets into a trust in order to pass them on to heirs or beneficiaries.
How It Works
Let's say John Doe is in a shaky marriage and wants to make sure $1 million of his money goes to his children rather than his second wife, whom he may divorce. He puts the money in a dry trust for his children.
The children are only 10 and 8 years old, but when they turn 18, they will have access to and control over the assets. In the meantime, John's wife cannot touch the assets, and a trustee manages the money on behalf of the children rather than on behalf of John Doe.
Why It Matters
Dry trusts are a way to ensure that beneficiaries receive assets as intended, but they also mean the benefactor gives up control over the assets. Additionally, age is typically the only condition of a dry trust, meaning that the trustee can't withhold funds from the trust if, say, John's children drop out of college, become addicted to drugs, or marry someone John doesn't like. The children simply must be at least 18 years old to obtain full control over the money.
Source: Investing Answers
land trust
nounFinancial Definition of land trust
What It Is
A land trust is a trust comprised exclusively of real estate assets.
How It Works
A land trust holds one or more properties for the benefit of a designated group or organization (beneficiary). The trust is managed by a trustee or board of trustees responsible for overseeing the property or properties on behalf of the beneficiary. Land trust beneficiaries can be for-profit or not-for-profit organizations trying to privately accumulate property holdings for purposes such as expansion or conservation. For example, a community with endangered wildlife may have a land trust for pieces of land that qualify as wildlife sanctuaries.
Why It Matters
The activities of a land trust, as with any manner of trust, are private in nature. For this reason, organizations acquire property by way of a land trust so not to effect a sudden change in the value of the property.
Source: Investing Answers
naked trust
nounFinancial Definition of naked trust
What It Is
Also called a dry trust or a passive trust, with a naked trust, a person transfers assets into a trust in order to pass them on to heirs or beneficiaries.
How It Works
Let's say John Doe is in a shaky marriage and wants to make sure $1 million of his money goes to his children rather than his second wife, whom he may divorce. He puts the money in a naked trust for his children.
The children are only 10 and 8 years old, but when they turn 18, they will have control over the assets. In the meantime, John's wife cannot touch the assets, and a trustee manages the money on behalf of the children rather than on behalf of John Doe.
Why It Matters
Naked trusts are a way to ensure that beneficiaries receive assets as intended, but they also mean the benefactor gives up control over the assets. Additionally, age is typically the only condition of a naked trust, meaning that the trustee can't withhold funds from the trust if, say, John's children drop out of college, become addicted to drugs, or marry someone John doesn't like. The children simply must be at least 18 years old to obtain full control over the money.
Source: Investing Answers
passive trust
nounFinancial Definition of passive trust
What It Is
Also called a dry trust or a naked trust, a passive trust is a trust into which a person transfers assets in order to pass them on to heirs or beneficiaries.
How It Works
For example, let's say John Doe is in a shaky marriage and wants to make sure $1 million of his money goes to his children rather than his second wife, whom he many divorce. He puts the money in a passive trust for his children.
The children are only 10 and 8 years old, but when they turn 18, they will have access to and control over the assets. In the meantime, John's wife cannot touch the assets, and a trustee manages the money on behalf of the children rather than on behalf of John Doe.
Why It Matters
Passive trusts are a way to ensure that beneficiaries receive assets as intended, but they also mean that the benefactor gives up control over the assets. Additionally, age is typically the only condition of a passive trust, meaning that the trustee can't withhold funds from the trust if, say, John's children do something of which he disapproves, such as dropping out of college. The children simply must be at least 18 years old to obtain full control over the money.
Source: Investing Answers
revocable trust
nounFinancial Definition of revocable trust
What It Is
A revocable trust is a trust with provisions that can be altered by the grantor. Sometimes a revocable trust is referred to as a "living revocable trust."
How It Works
A trust is a legal instrument that allows property to be passed to heirs and beneficiaries without going through probate (i.e., state directed distributions of assets upon death). A revocable trust gives the full control of the assets held in the trust to the grantor (i.e., the person setting up the trust). In addition, all incomes and distributions from the assets in the revocable trust are given to the grantor during their lifetime.
Why It Matters
Revocable trusts are an important way to ensure that assets will be passed along to heirs, especially in cases of sudden incapacity or death by the grantor. However, there is no tax savings to the grantor or the beneficiaries by having their assets in a revocable trust.
Source: Investing Answers
trust
noun
English Language Learners Definition of trust
(Entry 1 of 2)
trust
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of trust (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for trust in the English Language Learners Dictionary
trust
verb
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Kids Definition of trust
(Entry 1 of 2)
trust
nounKids Definition of trust (Entry 2 of 2)
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trust
nounLegal Definition of trust
Note: Trusts developed out of the old English use. The traditional requirements of a trust are a named beneficiary and trustee (who may be the settlor), an identified res, or property, to be transferred to the trustee and constitute the principal of the trust, and delivery of the res to the trustee with the intent to create a trust. Not all relationships labeled as trusts have all of these characteristics, however. Trusts are often created for their advantageous tax treatment.
Note: Accumulation trusts are disfavored and often restricted in the law.
— called also common-law trust, Massachusetts trust
Note: A trust that qualifies as a business trust is eligible for bankruptcy protection under chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code.
— called also bypass shelter trust, credit shelter trust, shelter trust
Note: The purpose of a bypass trust is to reduce the surviving spouse's taxable estate. Such trusts do not qualify for the marital deduction.
Note: Charitable remainder trusts qualify for tax exemptions under section 664 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Note: Unlike most trusts, a charitable trust does not require definite beneficiaries and may exist in perpetuity.
Note: Prior to the Tax Reform Act of 1986, a Clifford trust could be used to divert income from the settlor, who was in a higher tax bracket, to a beneficiary, often a child, who was in a lower tax bracket. A settlor is currently treated as the owner of any portion of a trust in which he or she has a reversionary interest, and taxes are calculated at the settlor's rate.
— called also trust de son tort, trust ex delicto, trust ex maleficio
— compare resulting trust in this entryNote: An honorary trust may be upheld where allowed by statute if its purpose (as for the care of an animal or grave) is sufficiently clear. An honorary trust is subject to the rule against perpetuities, however.
— called also living trust
— compare testamentary trust in this entry— called also Illinois land trust, naked land trust
— called also dry trust, naked trust
— compare active trust in this entryNote: A power of appointment trust made in accordance with Internal Revenue Code section 2056(b)(5) qualifies for the marital deduction.
— called also bank account trust, savings bank trust, tentative trust
\ Note: The shareholders transferring legal title to their shares retain the equitable title and continue to receive dividends and other distributions. They also receive certificates as evidence of their interest in the trust, which provides the holder with the rights of a shareholder except for voting rights.
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