entrust

verb

in-ˈtrəst How to pronounce entrust (audio)
variants also intrust
Definition of entrustnext
1
as in to task
to give a task, duty, or responsibility to we entrusted our financial adviser with the investment of all of our savings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to leave
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another we entrusted our pets to the care of our neighbor while we went on vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word entrust distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of entrust are commit, confide, consign, and relegate. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

When is it sensible to use commit instead of entrust?

The meanings of commit and entrust largely overlap; however, commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

In what contexts can confide take the place of entrust?

In some situations, the words confide and entrust are roughly equivalent. However, confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

When can consign be used instead of entrust?

While the synonyms consign and entrust are close in meaning, consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

When is relegate a more appropriate choice than entrust?

The words relegate and entrust can be used in similar contexts, but relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of entrust Known for coining the phrase ‘facial balancing’ in the world of injectables, and for striving to provide the most natural, forward-looking treatments to patients, Lee has been entrusted to treat the faces of celebrities from Kourtney Barker, Kim Kardashian, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba and others. — Margaux Lushing, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025 In Lagos’ pulsating heart, a dying nightclub owner entrusts her legacy to her shy daughter. — Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 28 Feb. 2025 As the Tucker 48 never realized a final specification, restorers are entrusted with unique relics that today, routinely fetch more than $1M when offered for sale. — Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2025 The design of the project was entrusted to the V Maison interior studio. — Andrea Onate, WWD, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for entrust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entrust
  1. task
  2. leave
  3. trust
  4. transfer
  5. give
  6. commit
  7. relinquish
  8. recommend
Verb
  • The Trump administration has been focused on an overhaul of the federal government, with tech billionaire Elon Musk tasked with finding ways to cut spending and workers.
    — Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 15 Mar. 2025
  • At that point, no one will be counting pennies—except, of course, for the Bills front office staff tasked with maintaining related cap allocations for years afterward.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of task
Verb
  • Ultimately, the tornado claimed the lives of 158 people and left over 1,000 injured.
    — Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
  • After his 2011 arrest and imprisonment, Ai left China in 2015 and now lives and works in Europe.
    — Lise Pedersen, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of leave
Verb
  • This can be done by making small choices without seeking approval, trusting your intuition and cultivating independent interests and hobbies.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
  • If your goal is to run errands without anyone recognizing you in the aisles, add black sunglasses into the mix—just trust us here.
    — Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of trust
Verb
  • Following its recovery, workers transferred the mummy to the Niğde Museum Directorate for further analysis.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2025
  • He was transferred to a detention unit on the Dutch coast.
    — Reuters, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of transfer
Verb
  • Even the historically bad White Sox can't justify giving Gallo an opportunity to continue hitting.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The law requires a president to declare the U.S. is at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners who otherwise would have protections under immigration or criminal laws.
    — Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of give
Verb
  • Regardless of its initial intentions, the company is committed to fixing this certificate issue, and the dongle could still have more life in it.
    — Ryan Whitwam, Ars Technica, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The European Union appears committed to yanking up defense spending and investment in continental NATO's industry, rather than relying on the U.S. powerhouse military-industrial complex.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of commit
Verb
  • Britain’s slimmer new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has also relinquished the U.K.’s past leadership in research and expertise, largely due to pay reductions and restrictions on hiring non-British nationals.
    — Sarah Stroup, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2025
  • She was relinquished by her first adoptive family due to her behavioral issues.
    — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of relinquish
Verb
  • The report acknowledges that the United States may be falling behind efforts in Europe and Asia and recommends some near-, mid-, and long-term strategies involving the national, state and local governments working with industry and regulators to help fix this.
    — Nick Nuttall, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Using the ParkMobile app is recommended for parking.
    — Jake Richardson, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of recommend

Browse Nearby Words

entrust
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Entrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entrust. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on entrust

Nglish: Translation of entrust for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All