entrust

American  

[en-truhst] / ɛnˈtrʌst /

Sometimes intrust

verb (used with object)

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

   We entrusted him with our lives.

2. to commit (something) in trust to; confide, as for care, use, or performance.

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

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entrust British  

/ ɪnˈtrʌst /

verb

1. (usually foll by with) to invest or charge (with a duty, responsibility, etc)

2. (often foll by to) to put into the care or protection of someone

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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

• entrustment noun

Etymology

Origin of entrust

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

Example Sentences

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

But after the LAFD’s failures in the Palisades fire, some voters may be reluctant to entrust its leaders with more money.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

“If I were Ella St. Clay and I wanted to protect each page, what better way than to entrust each key with the one person who lived through the story!”

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

• allocate
• assign
• authorize
• commend
• commit
• confer
• confide
• hand over
• impose
• invest
• relegate
• trust
• turn over