# Trust

**Trust** is an attitude directed toward people whom one hopes will be trustworthy; trustworthiness is a property rather than an attitude, so the two are distinct concepts.<sup>[1](https://plato.stanford.edu/ENTRIES/trust/)</sup> Interpersonal trust is arguably the dominant paradigm of trust in philosophical analysis.<sup>[1](https://plato.stanford.edu/ENTRIES/trust/)</sup> Because the word is used across many fields, it also names a range of specific subjects, including a legal relationship in which one person holds property for another's benefit,<sup>[2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trust)</sup> several businesses combined under the same management to prevent competition,<sup>[2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trust)</sup> and an affirmation of the access rights of a user of a computer system.<sup>[2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trust)</sup>

Because the word is used across many fields, it also names a range of specific subjects in law, business, computing, politics, and the arts.

| Key fact | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Philosophical distinction | Trust is an attitude; trustworthiness is a property<sup>[1](https://plato.stanford.edu/ENTRIES/trust/)</sup> |
| Legal meaning | A relationship in which one person holds property for another's benefit<sup>[2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trust)</sup> |
| Business meaning | Several businesses combined under the same management to prevent competition<sup>[2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trust)</sup> |
| Computing meaning | Affirmation of the access rights of a user of a computer system<sup>[2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trust)</sup> |
| Dominant paradigm | Interpersonal trust is arguably the dominant paradigm in philosophy<sup>[1](https://plato.stanford.edu/ENTRIES/trust/)</sup> |

## The social-science and philosophical concept

Philosophical work on the subject separates trust as an attitude from trustworthiness as a property of the person trusted, and studies trust in many objects beyond individuals: groups, institutions, government, science, and the self.<sup>[1](https://plato.stanford.edu/ENTRIES/trust/)</sup> Despite this breadth, interpersonal trust is arguably the dominant paradigm of trust in philosophical analysis.<sup>[1](https://plato.stanford.edu/ENTRIES/trust/)</sup>

Scholarly discussion of trust is commonly organized around three questions: the nature of trust, the normativity of trust, and the value of trust.<sup>[3](https://iep.utm.edu/trust/)</sup> The normative question concerns what obligations trust creates; the question of value concerns why trust matters morally and practically.<sup>[3](https://iep.utm.edu/trust/)</sup>

## Law and business

Lexical sources describe it as the confidence vested in a person who has legal ownership of property to manage it for the benefit of another.<sup>[2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trust)</sup>

## Computing

Computing applies trust in several technical senses. It can mean an affirmation of the access rights of a user of a computer system.<sup>[2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trust)</sup>

## Politics, organizations, and places

The word names several political and public organizations. Trust (British political party) was formed by Stuart Wheeler in 2010; Trust (Greek political party) is a Muslim party in the Rhodope region; Trust (parliamentary group) is a Ukrainian parliamentary group and political party.

## Arts, media, and other uses

Arts and entertainment use the title extensively.

In music, bands named Trust include a French rock group formed in 1977, a Belgian pop group formed in 2007, and a Canadian synthpop group formed in 2010.

## References

1. [Trust - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy](https://plato.stanford.edu/ENTRIES/trust/)
2. [trust - Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trust)
3. [The Ethics and Epistemology of Trust - Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy](https://iep.utm.edu/trust/)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Drama and biographical films (individual works)*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026*

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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license