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Prepositions after verbs

Entrust to or entrust with?

Entrust uses both to and with, but the meaning changes depending on the structure.

Quick answer

How do entrust to and entrust with differ?

Use entrust something to someone when giving responsibility to a person: She entrusted the keys to her neighbour. Use entrust someone with something when giving a person responsibility for a task or object: She entrusted her neighbour with the keys.

They entrusted the documents to a lawyer.
The manager entrusted her assistant with the schedule.
He entrusted the project to an experienced team.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
entrust something to + person

Giving responsibility to someone

Use to after the thing being handed over or assigned.

She entrusted the children to her parents for the weekend.
The company entrusted the negotiations to senior staff.
2
entrust someone with + thing

Giving someone responsibility for something

Use with after the person receiving responsibility.

They entrusted the accountant with financial records.
The director entrusted me with the final decision.
3
be entrusted with + duty

Describing assigned responsibility

Passive structures with with are common in formal English.

She was entrusted with confidential information.
The committee was entrusted with oversight duties.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
entrust to
He entrusted the task to a specialist.
Focuses on the person or group receiving responsibility.
entrust with
They entrusted her with the company's finances.
Focuses on the responsibility or object given to someone.
be entrusted with
I was entrusted with managing the archive.
Passive form showing assigned responsibility.
entrust someone to
They entrusted the patient to an experienced surgeon.
Used when placing a person in another person's care.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Reversing the object order

The thing comes before to, but the person comes before with.

✕ They entrusted with the files the assistant. ✓ They entrusted the files to the assistant.

Using to after the person

Use with after the person who receives responsibility.

✕ She entrusted her assistant to the schedule. ✓ She entrusted her assistant with the schedule.

Missing the object

Entrust usually needs both the responsibility and the responsible person.

✓ He entrusted the repairs to a local engineer.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She entrusted the report ___ her legal team.
2. The director entrusted me ___ client communications.
3. He was entrusted ___ managing the budget.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between entrust to and entrust with?

Entrust something to someone focuses on the receiver. Entrust someone with something focuses on the responsibility given.

Can entrust be used in passive voice?

Yes. Be entrusted with is very common in formal and professional English.

Is entrust a formal word?

Yes. Entrust is more formal than give responsibility to or leave with.

earmark-for-by-as-about, at "earn from", "earn by" or "earn in"? "ease into", "ease by" or "ease in"? "eat at", "eat with" or "eat in"? "echo in" or "echo by"? edit by, for, in, to or from? "educate in" or "educate at"? eject from, at, in, into or by? elaborate on, in, upon, by or about? "elect to" or "elect by"? elevate to, in, above, by or as? "eliminate from", "eliminate in" or "eliminate by"?

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