fiduciary

From Latin fīdūciārius (“held in trust”), from fīdūcia (“trust”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɪˈdjuːʃ.i.əɹ.i/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /fəˈduːʃ.i.eɹ.i/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

fiduciary (not comparable)

1. (law) Relating to an entity that owes to another good faith, accountability and trust, often in the context of trusts and trustees.

   a fiduciary contract

   a fiduciary duty

2. Pertaining to paper money whose value depends on public confidence or securities.
   • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 63:

     Indeed, currency would be more effective for not being gold and silver but fiduciary paper money.

3. (nonstandard) Accepted as a trusted reference such as a point, value, or marker; fiducial.

Do not confuse fiduciary with fiducial, notwithstanding that the words are cognate, based on a root of trust and reference to authoritative standards.

• fiduciary duty

fiduciary (plural fiduciaries)

1. (law) One who holds a thing in trust for another.

   Synonym: trustee

   • 2022 January 18, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Michael J. de la Merced, quoting Larry Fink, “It’s Not ‘Woke’ for Businesses to Think Beyond Profit, BlackRock Chief Says”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     “We focus on sustainability not because we’re environmentalists, but because we are capitalists and fiduciaries to our clients,” Mr. Fink wrote.

2. (theology) One who depends for salvation on faith, without works; an antinomian.

• personal fiduciary