What does untrusted mean?
Untrusted means that something is not regarded as reliable, credible, or worthy of confidence. It is used of people, organizations, sources, information, software, and computer systems. The adjective often suggests a lack of established trust rather than proof of dishonesty: an untrusted source may simply be anonymous, unverifiable, or outside the speaker’s circle of confidence. In technical settings, especially cybersecurity, untrusted can describe data, code, or content that has not been authenticated and therefore must be handled cautiously. The word is also used figuratively for people who are not believed to be dependable or loyal. Compared with saying that something is unreliable, untrusted focuses more directly on the relationship of confidence: the central question is whether the person or system has been accepted as trustworthy. This makes the term particularly useful when discussing sources, communications, and systems whose credibility or authorization is uncertain.
adjectiveNot trusted or regarded as trustworthy. The term can describe people, sources, information, software, or systems that lack credibility, reliability, or authorization.
- Not regarded as trustworthy or deserving of confidence.
- Not authorized or trusted to handle data, instructions, or resources safely, especially in computing and security contexts.
"The system treats messages from unknown senders as untrusted."
"The report relies on an untrusted source and cannot be independently verified."
"The browser runs untrusted content in a restricted environment."
In computing, “untrusted” is a safety label: the word marks information or code that must be treated with suspicion until it has been verified.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does untrusted come from?
Untrusted was formed in English by combining the negative prefix un- with trusted. The prefix un- descends from Old English and expresses negation, while trusted derives from trust. The word trust itself comes through Middle English from Old English tryst, related to Old Norse traust, all conveying confidence or reliance.
How untrusted is actually used
Untrusted is common in formal, technical, and professional writing. It can mean simply that something is not regarded as trustworthy, or, in computing and security contexts, that it has not been authorized or authenticated.
Easily confused with untrusted
Untrusted describes something that is not considered trustworthy, whereas untrusting describes a person or attitude that is unwilling to trust others.