What does "trust" mean?
Trust: Credit given; especially, delivery of property or merchandise in reliance upon future payment; exchange without immediate receipt of an equivalent; as, to sell or buy goods on trust.
Additional senses
- 2.Assured anticipation; dependence upon something future or contingent, as if present or actual; hope; belief. "Such trust have we through Christ." 2 Cor. iii.
- 3.His trust was with the Eternal to be deemed Equal in strength. Milton.
- 4.That which is committed or intrusted to one; something received in confidence; charge; deposit.
- 5.The condition or obligation of one to whom anything is confided; responsible charge or office. [I] serve him truly that will put me in trust. Shak. Reward them well, if they observe their trust. Denham.
- 6.That upon which confidence is reposed; ground of reliance; hope. O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth. Ps. lxxi.
- 7.7. (Law) An estate devised or granted in confidence that the devisee or grantee shall convey it, or dispose of the profits, at the will, or for the benefit, of another; an estate held for the use of another; a confidence respecting property reposed in one person, who is termed the trustee, for the benefit of another, who is called the cestui que trust.
- 8.An organization formed mainly for the purpose of regulating the supply and price of commodities, etc.; as, a sugar trust. [Cant] Trust deed (Law), a deed conveying property to a trustee, for some specific use.
- 9.Held in trust; as, trust property; trustmoney.
- 10.To place confidence in; to rely on, to confide, or repose faith, in; as, we can not trust those who have deceived us. I will never trust his word after. Shak. He that trusts every one without reserve will at last be deceived. Johnson.
- 11.To give credence to; to believe; to credit. Trust me, you look well. Shak.
- 12.To hope confidently; to believe; -- usually with a phrase or infinitive clause as the object. I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face. 2 John 12. We trustwe have a good conscience. Heb. xiii.
- 13.4. to show confidence in a person by intrusting (him) with something. Whom, with your power and fortune, sir, you trust, Now to suspect is vain. Dryden.
- 14.To commit, as to one's care; to intrust. Merchants were not willing to trust precious cargoes to any custody but that of a man-of-war. Macaulay.
- 15.To give credit to; to sell to upon credit, or in confidence of future payment; as, merchants and manufacturers trust their customers annually with goods.
- 16.To risk; to venture confidently. [Beguiled] by thee to trust thee from my side. Milton.
- 17.To have trust; to be credulous; to be won to confidence; to confide. More to know could not be more to trust. Shak.
- 18.To be confident, as of something future; to hope. I will trust and not be afraid. Isa. xii.
- 19.3. To sell or deliver anything in reliance upon a promise of payment; to give credit. It is happier sometimes to be cheated than not to trust. Johnson. To trust in, To trust on, to place confidence in,; to rely on; to depend. "Trust in the Lord, and do good." Ps. xxxvii.
- 20."A priest . . . on whom we trust." Chaucer. Her widening streets on new foundations trust. Dryden. To trust to or unto, to depend on; to have confidence in; to rely on. They trusted unto the liers in wait. Judges xx. 36.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00