What does entrustment mean?
Entrustment is the act of placing something—or someone—into the care, custody, or responsibility of another party. It is the noun form of the verb "entrust," and it captures not just the transfer itself but the confidence that makes such a transfer possible. When we speak of the entrustment of funds, documents, children, or official powers, we imply that the recipient has been judged worthy of the charge and that misuse would be a breach of faith. The word belongs chiefly to formal registers: it appears frequently in legal contracts, corporate governance, fiduciary relationships, and diplomatic agreements, where the precise transfer of responsibility must be documented. Its connotation is inherently weighty; unlike neutral terms such as "delivery" or "assignment," entrustment foregrounds the vulnerability of what is given and the moral dimension of accepting it. For anyone writing about trusteeship, delegation of authority, or the handling of sensitive matters, "entrustment" names the pivotal act with clarity and gravity.
nounThe act of entrusting something or someone to another person's care, keeping, or responsibility; also the condition of having been entrusted with such a duty.
- The act of committing something or someone to another's care, custody, or responsibility.
- (Law) The formal transfer of custody or control of property, funds, or duties to a person or body charged with their safekeeping.
"The entrustment of the company's finances to a new treasurer required complete confidence in her integrity."
"The entrustment of nuclear launch codes to a new president is one of the most solemn ceremonies in government."
"By the entrustment of her savings to the fund, she accepted the risks set out in its prospectus."
Rare in practice; "entrustment" is usually treated as uncountable when referring to the act in general. The plural appears only when distinguishing multiple specific acts or instances of entrusting.
"The contract governed several separate entrustments of client assets over the years."
Entrustment is the moment trust stops being a feeling and becomes an action — the instant you hand over something valuable and hope you chose well.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of entrustment
"Entrustment" derives from the verb "entrust," formed in English from the prefix "en-" (from Old French, ultimately Latin "in-", meaning "in" or "to make") combined with "trust." "Trust" itself entered Middle English from Old Norse "traust," meaning confidence or reliance. The noun "entrustment," formed by adding the suffix "-ment" (from Latin via Old French, denoting the result of an action), arose as a natural derivation once "entrust" was established. It shares its root family with related words such as "trustee," "trustworthy," and "distrust."
Related word forms
How entrustment is actually used
"Entrustment" is a formal word, most at home in legal, corporate, institutional, and diplomatic writing. In everyday speech people more often say "handing over," "leaving something with someone," or simply "trusting someone with something." It carries a serious connotation: whatever is entrusted is typically valuable, sensitive, or consequential.
Easily confused with entrustment
"Trust" is the broader noun for confident reliance on someone or something, while "entrustment" refers specifically to the act of placing that trust by giving someone a task, object, or responsibility.