Word of the Day:

January 27, 2026

fiduciary

adjective fuh-DOO-shee-air-ee

What it Means

Fiduciary is a formal word describing something relating to or involving trust, such as the trust between a customer and a professional.

// The bank's fiduciary obligations are clearly stated in the contract.

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Fiduciary in Context

"Banks and brokerage firms hold a fiduciary responsibility to protect their customers, including from scams." — Carter Pape, American Banker, 11 Aug. 2025

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Did You Know?

Fiduciary relationships are often of the financial variety, but the word fiduciary does not, in and of itself, suggest pecuniary ("money-related") matters. Rather, fiduciary applies to any situation in which one person justifiably places confidence and trust in someone else, and seeks that person's help or advice in some matter. The attorney-client relationship is a fiduciary one, for example, because the client trusts the attorney to act in the best interest of the client at all times. Fiduciary can also be used as a noun referring to the person who acts in a fiduciary capacity, and fiduciarily or fiducially can be called upon if you are in need of an adverb. The words are all faithful to their origin: Latin fīdere, which means "to trust."

Test Your Vocabulary

What five-letter word beginning with f can mean "allegiance to duty or a person," "fidelity to one's promises," or "something that is believed especially with strong conviction"?

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