above suspicion

Idioms and Phrases

So trustworthy as never to be suspected of wrongdoing, as in “The wife of Caesar must be above suspicion” (Charles Merivale, A History of the Romans under the Empire , 1850). The phrase was given further currency when it was used for the title of a very popular World War II spy film starring Joan Crawford ( Above Suspicion , 1943). A similar idiom using above in the sense of “beyond” is above the law , usually describing an individual or business behaving as though exempt from rules or laws that apply to others.

Example Sentences

In other words they, as in the time-honoured adage about Caesar’s wife, must be above suspicion.

From BBC

Mudd solved his problem by sending his cousin George, a loyal Unionist and therefore above suspicion by the federal authorities, to town to report Booth’s visit to Mudd’s farm.

From Literature

The fiction that the nine Justices are above being policed is paramount—the Justices were questioned in the investigation of the leak, but it was deemed unnecessary to ask them to sign sworn affidavits—and the public is asked to trust they are above suspicion.

From Slate

Further, it’s not as if the justices are above suspicion.

From Washington Post

“The lesson from a special counsel’s perspective is, you’ve got to be tough from the beginning and you’ve got to be above suspicion yourself, because you’re going to be attacked,” said Mr. Wisenberg.

From New York Times

More About Above Suspicion

What does above suspicion mean?

Above suspicion is used to describe someone who is considered to be completely trustworthy—someone who would never be suspected of doing anything wrong.

The phrase can also be used to describe such a person’s actions.

In above suspicion, suspicion refers to the state of being suspected of something, especially of a crime or other wrongdoing. To be under suspicion is to be suspected if something, as in He is under suspicion for money laundering.

If someone is thought to be above suspicion, it means that no one would ever suspect that they have done anything wrong—or are even capable of it. The phrase is typically applied to people who are thought to have a spotless reputation.

Example: Our parents looked around the trashed living room and then at us, and we knew that only the goldfish was above suspicion of making the mess.

Where does above suspicion come from?

The phrase above suspicion is thought to have been popularized by expression

“The wife of Caesar must be above suspicion,” which first appeared in Charles Merivale’s 1850 book A History of the Romans under the Empire. The expression is attributed to Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, who supposedly said it after divorcing his wife Pompeia because she had been implicated in some scandal.

The expression came to be used as a proverb meaning that those who are associated with powerful public figures need to have a reputation for being completely honest and honorable.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for above suspicion?

• beyond suspicion

What are some words that share a root or word element with above suspicion? 

• above
• suspicion
• above the law

What are some words that often get used in discussing above suspicion?

• reputation
• spotless
• honest
• honorable
• trustworthy

How is above suspicion used in real life?

Above suspicion is often used in the discussion of public figures.

No matter how much I trust a person, NO ONE is above suspicion. Everyone is questionable.

— {Loríche 🦩} (@_LilliG) May 26, 2012

No one is above suspicion, contempt, criticism, or ridicule. No one. Nothing and no one is infallible…including those you admire!

— Jerry McGowan (@7StringJerry) December 16, 2011

No one is above suspicion. Get caught up on #Quantico before new episodes return on March 6! https://t.co/TVllVNhNoK pic.twitter.com/lNbtebX7TO

— Quantico ABC (@QuanticoTV) February 15, 2016

 

Try using above suspicion!

Is above suspicion used correctly in the following sentence? 

No person should be above suspicion—everyone is capable of wrongdoing, no matter how stellar their reputation is.