fiduciary
Involving trust and confidence in managing affairs or assets for another
Examples
In a meeting
“Board members have a fiduciary responsibility to act in shareholders' best interests.”
Over coffee
“As executor, she has a fiduciary duty to distribute the estate fairly.”
Why this word
trustee
Trustee is one type of fiduciary; fiduciary describes any relationship requiring trust and confidence in handling another's affairs
guardian
Guardian is a specific role; fiduciary is the legal classification for anyone holding a position of trust over another's interests
agent
Agent represents another but may lack fiduciary duties; fiduciary specifically denotes legal obligation to act in another's best interest
Usage tip
Use when describing legal or ethical obligations to manage someone else's interests or assets; implies high standard of care.
Etymology
Latin 'fiduciarius' from 'fiducia' (trust, confidence)
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Related words
handoff
The transfer of responsibility from one person to another
disclaim
To deny responsibility or connection with something
inherit
Receive responsibilities, problems, or assets from a predecessor
enjoin
To legally prohibit or order someone to do or not do something
proscribe
To officially forbid or condemn something
severability
The legal principle that if one part of a contract is invalid, the rest remains enforceable