entrust
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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(usually foll by with) to invest or charge (with a duty, responsibility, etc)
-
(often foll by to) to put into the care or protection of someone
Usage
It is usually considered incorrect to talk about entrusting someone to do something: the army cannot be trusted (not entrusted ) to carry out orders
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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entrustsimple
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entrustssimple
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have entrustedperfect
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has entrustedperfect
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am entrustingprogressive
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are entrustingprogressive
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is entrustingprogressive
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have been entrustingperfect progressive
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has been entrustingperfect progressive
Past
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entrustedsimple
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had entrustedperfect
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was entrustingprogressive
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were entrustingprogressive
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had been entrustingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entrust
Explanation
To entrust is to give someone a responsibility you assume she will fulfill. If you entrust someone with the task of getting you to school on time, make sure she’s punctual. To entrust is to let someone take care of something for you because you believe she will protect it. It could be a duty or a thing — you might entrust a nursing home with the care of your parents or entrust an accountant with your finances. Entrust is a verb that needs an object, so you always entrust with or to something. If a friend entrusts you with a secret, she trusts you not to tell.
Vocabulary lists containing entrust
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Always there for him to confide in, complain to and entrust with his continually evolving thoughts on Jewish life and theology, Kaplan called these ledger-size handwritten volumes his “communings of the spirit.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
Murrin’s case highlights pitfalls that lurk when people entrust someone with their taxes, according to Olson.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026
When we entrust digital platforms with our biometric data, we hand over unique, irreplaceable biological identifiers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
Are the Rams really about to entrust him with the responsibility of projecting their virtues?
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2025
No one knew of his letter but Robb Stark; they were no fools, to entrust their secrets to a bird.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Constitution entrusts Congress with the power to “declare war.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Editor Eleanor Infante entrusts the movie’s energy to montages: fashion shoots, photo booths, feeding frenzies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2025
“The law entrusts physicians,” the court explained, “with the profound weight of the recommendation to end the life of a child.”
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2024
“God’s faithful people, gathered here, now accompanies and entrusts to him the life of the one who was their pastor,” Francis said of Benedict’s final passage.
From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2023
"He entrusts some small matters to us, to lighten his load."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
“We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
“At some point, it is really outside the ability of someone with dementia to determine what is safe and to ensure their own physical safety. That is entrusted to a family caregiver,” says Resendez.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Buddhist monks are highly venerated in Thailand, entrusted with preserving and passing on the Buddha's teachings.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Buddhist monks are highly respected in Thailand as they are entrusted with preserving and passing on the Buddha's teachings.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
My mom could’ve pawned it by now and taken care of bills, filled our fridge, but she entrusted it to me.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Arteta has no hesitation entrusting Heinze with such key tasks.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
As these concerns mount, few in the industry have addressed the character of their AI models in quite the same way as 5-year-old Anthropic: by entrusting a single person with so much of the task.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
He flies around Texas in a private jet, but it belongs to the much wealthier people entrusting him to handle their business.
From Salon ● Nov. 16, 2025
So Musselman took “a leap of faith,” entrusting things would be different with Rice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2025
Then she places all the books next to me, very carefully, like they are precious rubies she is entrusting to me.
From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
