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breach of trust

breach of trust

4 6.7
To break the trust someone gives you by acting dishonestly or failing a duty
  • noun
  • /briːtʃ əv trʌst/
translation icon : ruptura de confianza
  • When she lied about her intentions, it led to a complete breach of trust in their relationship.

It is difficult, Megan, to overstate just how great a breach of trust this is.

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Examples

  • Political pressure also came to bear on the Secretary following the decision in district court: Texas Governor George W. Bush accused the Secretary of a "breach of trust" when informed of his decision not to appeal, and issued a statement that "Texans will have a hard time trusting a federal government that makes an agreement, then turns right around and breaks it."

    Academic text (1997)
  • It is difficult, Megan, to overstate just how great a breach of trust this is.

  • It's a total breach of trust between the two nations.

  • What makes this so much worse is the breach of trust associated with it.

    Blog text (14)
  • At a minimum, this would appear to be a breach of trust by the BBC Trustees.

    Blog text (32)
  • Cheating is a breach of trust, and it will take time to rebuild that.

    Blog text (28)
  • The memo stated, in part, that the department is "deeply saddened by this breach of trust."

    Blog text (10)
  • Harry, Oscorps has been under intense public scrutiny in the wake of Dr. Connors' recent breach of trust.

  • If necessary, the Nez Perce tribe will pursue a legal campaign to sue the federal government for a breach of trust.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Moving on to the next item, there's an ex TSMC employee who was charged with a breach of trust regarding IP theft.

Synonyms

betrayal
vsbreach of trust
197 3.9

An act of not being loyal to someone, for example telling their secrets or helping an enemy

is about failing responsibilities or dishonest behaviour rather than secret disloyal acts
cheating
vsbreach of trust
187 2.1

An act of tricking someone to get an unfair advantage

often involves failing duties or acting dishonestly but not always for personal gain
misconduct
vsbreach of trust
  • Formal
131 4.6

Wrong behavior by someone in a trusted job

is specifically about breaking assigned responsibility or acting dishonestly in office
deceit
vsbreach of trust
66 4.6

Dishonest action meant to trick someone

is about breaking responsibility or confidence rather than only tricking someone
dishonesty
vsbreach of trust
46 3.2

Actions like lying, cheating, or stealing

is a specific act of breaking responsibility or confidence not only a general trait
treachery
vsbreach of trust
46 7.5

To betray someone's trust or loyalty

is broader and covers any failure of responsibility or dishonest action
trickery
vsbreach of trust
27 4.9

To use dishonest ways to cheat people

focuses on breaking responsibility or confidence by duty failure or broader dishonesty
perfidy
vsbreach of trust
  • Formal
4 9.9

A dishonest act that breaks someone's trust

is a general act of failing responsibility or acting dishonestly not only treachery
broken trust
vsbreach of trust
1 4.1

A loss of confidence in someone because they lie or break promises

is the action that causes this loss focusing on duty failure or dishonesty
breach of duty
vsbreach of trust
  • Formal
1 6.5

Not doing what you must by law or by what is right to keep others safe

is broader and covers dishonest acts that break confidence as well as duty failure
untrustworthiness
vsbreach of trust
1 7.2

A quality of not being reliable or honest

is the specific act of breaking responsibility or honesty rather than an ongoing trait
crooked dealing
vsbreach of trust
1 6.3

Dishonest behavior in business or money matters

is broader and covers any breaking of responsibility or dishonest acts beyond business
unscrupulousness
vsbreach of trust
8.8

A habit of ignoring right and wrong and being dishonest to get what you want

is the act of failing responsibility or being dishonest rather than a general character flaw
crookery
vsbreach of trust
9.5

Actions that cheat people to get their money

is the general act of breaking responsibility or confidence not limited to criminal cases

Antonyms

447 4.3

Being honest and doing what is right

A quality that shows someone or something is reliable and honest

How Serious

breach of trust
4 6.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

breach + of + trust

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from the parts: 'breach' (violation/failure) + 'trust' (confidence in someone's reliability), with 'of' simply linking them. The noun phrase pattern 'breach of X' is common and mirrors equivalent constructions in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand it.

Etymology

Breach of trust comes from the image of something being broken between people. The word breach means a break and trust is the confidence someone gives you, so a 'breach of trust' is when that confidence is broken by 'dishonesty' or 'failing a duty'.