trustee

American  

[truh-stee] / trʌˈsti /

noun

1. a person, usually one of a body of persons, appointed to administer the affairs of a company, institution, etc.

2. a person who holds the title to property for the benefit of another.

3. (in New England) a garnishee.

4. a trusty.

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verb (used with object)

trusteed, trusteeing

1. to place in the hands of a trustee or trustees.

2. (in New England) to garnish.

trustee British  

/ trʌˈstiː /

noun

1. a person to whom the legal title to property is entrusted to hold or use for another's benefit

2. a member of a board that manages the affairs and administers the funds of an institution or organization

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Usage

What does trustee mean? A trustee is a person who is appointed to administer the affairs of a company or other organization. Often such an organization will have a group, or a board, of trustees. A trustee can also be a person who holds the title to a property for someone else. If you inherit millions of dollars before you reach adulthood, the will might state that an adult manages that money for you until you become an adult. That person would be the trustee of your money. Example: The board of trustees advised us against running this ad during primetime.

Etymology

Origin of trustee

First recorded in 1640–50; trust + -ee

Explanation

A trustee is someone who is responsible for another person's money or property. Trustees sometimes oversee investment accounts or make sure a property is being taken care of. Trustee is a legal term that's often used when people write wills or set up trusts—funds that are set aside for specific recipients, usually called beneficiaries. There's also the kind of trustee who serves on a board of trustees, a group of people responsible for overseeing a charity or business, setting up policies and goals, and approving budgets. In either case, people have put their trust in the trustee.

Example Sentences

Edward Johnson III, the chief executive of investing titan Fidelity, sent a board trustee to deliver a message to his daughter he didn’t have the heart to tell her himself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

I am the trustee of my sibling’s trust.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

"As Sentebale’s co-founder and a founding trustee, they categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims," a spokesperson for the pair said in a statement.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The court filings show Prince Harry as a defendant alongside Mark Dyer, another former trustee of the charity, in a claim listed as "defamation - libel and slander".

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

He was made the sole trustee, charged with investing the money in the best and most profitable way he could devise.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• agent
• custodian
• executor