Synonyms

entrust

American

[en-truhst] / ɛnˈtrʌst /

Sometimes intrust

verb (used with object)

to charge or invest with a trust or responsibility; charge with a specified office or duty involving trust.

We entrusted him with our lives.
to commit (something) in trust to; confide, as for care, use, or performance.

to entrust a secret, money, powers, or work to another.

entrust British

/ ɪnˈtrʌst /

verb

(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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

entrustment

noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of entrust

First recorded in 1595–1605; en- ¹ + trust

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.

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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.

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

Major investors and tenants also remain reluctant to entrust multibillion-dollar decisions to unproven platforms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

Brandon feels WWE leadership recognised Cena "would be a very reliable and extremely hardworking person whom they could entrust with such a spot".

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

“I know if it was me,” continued Foaly, “and I had one chance, just one chance, to book my behind a seat on that Council, I certainly wouldn’t entrust my future to a troll.”

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023