0
ANSWER
"Mistrust" suggests vague doubts. "Distrust" is rather more emphatic suggesting positive suspicions and even a complete lack of trust. Also "mistrust" is the preferred form when expressing doubts about oneself. ANSWER
Mistrust means "to doubt, to lack confidence in," as in I mistrust his ability to persuade her. Distrust means much the same but adds suspicion to the mix: He distrusts her because he thinks she'll cheat him.
(The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.)
http://www.bartleby.com/68/6/3906.html
Distrust is a formal way of not trusting any one party too much in a situation of grave risk or deep doubt. It is commonly expressed in civics as a division or balance of powers, or in politics as means of validating treaty terms. Systems based on distrust simply divide the responsibility so that checks and balances can operate. The phrase "trust but verify" refers specifically to distrust.
Distrust should not be confused with mistrust, which is believing that a particular party has a hidden agenda. When such is the case, however, distrust plays a role in minimizing the power of specific individuals with roles in "the system." For instance providing the benefit of the doubt to someone accused of a crime.
An electoral system or adversarial process inevitably is based on distrust, but not on mistrust. Parties compete in the system, but they do not compete to subvert the system itself, or gain bad faith advantage through it - if they do they are easily caught by the others. Of course much mistrust does exist between parties, and it is exactly this which motivates putting in place a formal system of distrust. Diplomatic protocol for instance, which applies between states, relies on such means as formal disapproval which in effect say "we do not trust that person". It also tends to rely on a strict etiquette - distrusting each person's habits to signal their intent, and instead relying on a global standard for behaviour in sensitive social settings.
http://infao5501.ag5.mpi-sb.mpg.de:8080/topx/archive?link=Wikipedia-Lip6-2/1474763.xml&style
Mistrust is the act of believing that a particular party has a hidden agenda or ulterior motive. This can happen in everyday life in situations where the parties otherwise trust each other, but find themselves questioning that trust. Mistrust is different from distrust, in which the lack of trust seems clear to the believer (and usually to the recipient), as in war.
http://www.reference.com/browse/mistrust
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What is the difference between be accustomed to and be accustomed with?
The difference is that "accustomed to" is a correct usage while "accustomed with" is incorrect.
What is the difference in usage between 'normally' and 'generally'?
Normally is like "on average," and generally is like "as a whole."
What is the correct usage of among and between?
The correct usage of among is as a preposition applying to collective arrangements. Among means with each other or by the joint action. Between means a point of comparison. An example of use is, even among friends, the difference in music preference is noticeable.
What is the difference in usage between these idioms - 'To all intents and purposes' or 'For all intents and purposes'?
It Differs between American and British English"For all intents and purposes" is the correct phrase according to American usage. The British version of the idiom is "To all intents and purposes."(See the Related link.)
What is the difference between a index and dictionary?
An index lists various words used within the document and where they can be found, primarily used to locate specific topics in the document. A dictionary lists the definitions, pronunciation, usage, spelling, and/or usage (verb, adj, etc) of all the words.
What is difference between usage world and subject world?
What is difference between usage world and subject world?Read more: What_is_difference_between_usage_world_and_subject_world
What is the difference between in compliance with and in compliance to?
The difference is that the former is correct usage and the latter is not.
What is the difference between be accustomed to and be accustomed with?
The difference is that "accustomed to" is a correct usage while "accustomed with" is incorrect.
Is there a difference between an adversary action and an adversary proceeding?
I believe only in the words, not in real usage.
What is the difference in usage between 'normally' and 'generally'?
Normally is like "on average," and generally is like "as a whole."
What is the difference between 'a term' and 'a word'?
A term is a specific usage/definition of a word, often associated with a specific occupation.
What is the difference between the usage of the two words development and developing?
The difference is that development means "desenvolvimento" and is a substantive and the word developing in portuguese is adverb that means "desenvolvendo".
What is the difference between carbohydrate energy and fat energy?
carbohydrate energy is usage of energy fat energy stores energy
What is the difference between aprescriptive and adiscriptive approach to language?
A descriptive grammarian records the change in usage. A prescriptive grammarian resists it.
What is difference between photospectrometry and spectrophotometry?
There is no such thing as photospectrometry. It's sometimes used when actually meaning spectrophotometry. This usage is incorrect.
What is the difference between about to and going to?
The only real difference in general usage is that "about to" suggests something is to be done very soon, and "going to" suggests something is to be done, but not necessarily right away.
What is the difference between os and nos?
Basically there is not a whole lot of difference between OS and NOS. In common usage OS or Operating System is concerned with one computer. That is the simplified answer. An OS can have NOS features when it interfaces with other computers.
