trust / trəst/ • n. 1. firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something: relations have to be built on trust they have been able to win the trust of the others. ∎  acceptance of the truth of a statement without evidence or investigation: I used only primary sources, taking nothing on trust. ∎  the state of being responsible for someone or something: a man in a position of trust. ∎ poetic/lit. a person or duty for which one has responsibility: rulership is a trust from God. ∎ poetic/lit. a hope or expectation: all the great trusts of womanhood.2. Law confidence placed in a person by making that person the nominal owner of property to be held or used for the benefit of one or more others. ∎  an arrangement whereby property is held in such a way: a trust was set up | the property is to be held in trust for his son. 3. a body of trustees. ∎  an organization or company managed by trustees: a charitable trust | [in names] the National Trust for Historic Preservation. ∎  dated a large company that has or attempts to gain monopolistic control of a market.4. W. Indian or archaic commercial credit: my master lived on trust at an alehouse.• v. [tr.] 1. believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of: I should never have trusted her | [tr.] he can be trusted to carry out an impartial investigation | [as adj.] (trusted) a trusted adviser. ∎  (trust someone with) allow someone to have, use, or look after (someone or something of importance or value) with confidence: I'd trust you with my life. ∎  (trust someone/something to) commit (someone or something) to the safekeeping of: they don't like to trust their money to anyone outside the family. ∎  have confidence; hope (used as a polite formula in conversation): I trust that you have enjoyed this book. ∎  [intr.] have faith or confidence: she trusted in the powers of justice. ∎  [intr.] (trust to) place reliance on (luck, fate, or something else over which one has little control): trusting to the cover of night, I ventured out.2. chiefly archaic allow credit to (a customer).PHRASES: not trust someone as far as one can throw them inf. not trust or hardly trust a particular person at all.trust someone to —— it is characteristic or predictable for someone to act in the specified way: trust Sam to have all the inside information.DERIVATIVES: trust·a·ble adj.trust·er n.ORIGIN: Middle English: from Old Norse traust, from traustr ‘strong’; the verb from Old Norse treysta, assimilated to the noun.