suspicion

[ suh-spish-uhn ]

noun

1. act of suspecting.
2. the state of mind or feeling of one who suspects:

   Suspicion kept him awake all night long.

   Synonyms: misgiving, mistrust, doubt

3. an instance of suspecting something or someone.
4. state of being suspected:

   under suspicion; above suspicion.

5. imagination of anything to be the case or to be likely; a vague notion of something.
6. a slight trace, hint, or suggestion:

   a suspicion of a smile.

verb (used with object)

1. Nonstandard. to suspect.

suspicion

/ səˈspɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of suspecting; belief without sure proof, esp that something is wrong
2. the feeling of mistrust of a person who suspects
3. the state of being suspected

   to be shielded from suspicion

4. a slight trace
5. above suspicion
   above suspicion in such a position that no guilt may be thought or implied, esp through having an unblemished reputation
6. on suspicion
   on suspicion as a suspect
7. under suspicion
   under suspicion regarded with distrust

Derived Forms

• susˈpicional, adjective
• susˈpicionless, adjective

Other Words From

• presus·picion noun
• self-sus·picion noun
• super·sus·picion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of suspicion¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin suspīciōn- (stem of suspīciō ), equivalent to suspīc- (variant stem of suspicere “to look from below, suspect” ) + -iōn- -ion; suspect

Word History and Origins

Origin of suspicion¹

C14: from Old French sospeçon, from Latin suspīciō distrust, from suspicere to mistrust; see suspect

Idioms and Phrases

see above suspicion .

Synonym Study

Suspicion, distrust are terms for a feeling that appearances are not reliable. Suspicion is the positive tendency to doubt the trustworthiness of appearances and therefore to believe that one has detected possibilities of something unreliable, unfavorable, menacing, or the like: to feel suspicion about the honesty of a prominent man. Distrust may be a passive want of trust, faith, or reliance in a person or thing: to feel distrust of one's own ability.

Example Sentences

The anti-vaccine movement is based on suspicion of authority, beginning with medical authority.

From Nautilus

Some of the more general objections to the project may have more to do with suspicions of government and for-profit businesses than with mosquito biology.

From Science News

When two more people were beaten the next day, apparently on the same suspicion, the government shut off the state’s internet to stop the rumors from spreading.

From MIT Technology Review

Indeed, despite the algorithm’s somewhat weird writing pattern and occasional errors, only three or four of the dozens of people who commented on his top post on Hacker News raised suspicions that it might have been generated by an algorithm.

From MIT Technology Review

Menzie Chinn, an economist at the University of Madison-Wisconsin, said the July jobs report only confirmed his suspicion that the economic recovery was starting to plateau.

From FiveThirtyEight

Father Joel Román Salazar died in a car crash in 2013; his death was ruled an accident, but the suspicion of foul play persists.

From The Daily Beast

Those who served abroad were treated with suspicion that they had been infected by European diplomacy.

From The Daily Beast

In Romneyland, the super PAC is being met with real suspicion and skepticism.

From The Daily Beast

Sena might have felt insulated from suspicion in part because of his friendly relationship with local police.

From The Daily Beast

Suspicion has focused on the government of Qatar, which has strong ties to Nusra, as the source of the money.

From The Daily Beast

Any one may possess the portrait of a tragedian without exciting suspicion or comment.

From Project Gutenberg

He learned the series by heart without any suspicion that he was committing it to memory.

From Project Gutenberg

Hilda impetuously turned her head; their glances met for an instant, in suspicion, challenge, animosity.

From Project Gutenberg

She watched him, and suddenly a suspicion darted through her mind—a suspicion that he suspected them.

From Project Gutenberg

Doubt, suspicion, anger clouded vision; pain routed the impersonal conception.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• conjecture
• cynicism
• distrust
• impression
• jealousy
• misgiving
• mistrust
• notion
• skepticism
• uncertainty
• wariness

More About Suspicion

What does suspicion mean?

Suspicion is the state or act of suspecting something—having a sense that it may be true without knowing with certainty.

Suspicion can also refer to this sense, as in I had a suspicion that I was going to be fired, or an instance of suspecting someone of something, as in My suspicions turned out to be right—they had been stealing from the register.

A suspicion is usually based on something, such as a hunch or some kind of evidence, but the word is typically used in situations in which there is some doubt—when someone suspects something, but isn’t sure.

Suspicion is most commonly used in negative contexts, but this isn’t always the case. For example, you might have a suspicion that someone is planning a surprise party for you.

Suspicion can also refer to a state of mind, as in He’s always been prone to suspicion. To regard something with suspicion is to regard it with distrust.

Sometimes, suspicion refers to the state of being suspected, especially of a crime or other wrongdoing. This sense of the word is often used in phrases like under suspicion and on suspicion of, as in He was arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Someone who’s considered highly trustworthy might be described as above suspicion, meaning you would never suspect them of doing anything wrong.

The adjective suspicious can describe a person who has suspicions about others, as in My parents got suspicious when I kept asking whether they’d be home tomorrow, or someone or something that arouses suspicion, as in a suspicious package.

Example: We have suspected it all along, and what happened today confirmed our suspicions.

Where does suspicion come from?

The first records of the word suspicion come from the 1200s. It comes from the Latin suspīciō, meaning “distrust,” from the verb suspicere, “to mistrust.”

The word suspect is based on the same root as suspicion (ultimately coming from the Latin specere, meaning “to observe,” or “to keep an eye on”) and is often used in many of the same contexts. To suspect something is to have a suspicion. A person investigated or arrested on suspicion of having committed a crime is called a suspect.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to suspicion?

• suspicious (adjective)

What are some synonyms for suspicion?

• misgiving
• hunch
• notion
• distrust
• mistrust

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

• above suspicion
• suspect
• soupcon

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

• raise
• arouse
• confirm
• under
• doubt
• crime
• murder
• reasonable

How is suspicion used in real life?

Suspicion is usually (though not always) used in negative contexts, especially ones involving someone doing something wrong. It always implies that what’s being suspected isn’t known for sure. 

i have a suspicion that tik tok was intentionally named to mock our inability to properly manage time while on it. this time warp portal of an app is 100% intentional and they are subliminally rubbing it in our faces.

— lianna (@lianna3125) January 20, 2021

As we watched and divided briefly glimpsed body parts by two, we had begun to suspect that there was more than one chick in the #redtailedhawk nest. Suspicions were confirmed! Two little #raptor heads appeared! 🦖🦖🦖 #TwitterNatureCommunity #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfPrey #Birds pic.twitter.com/69CH0shRJH

— Dr Gail Barnes (@ZAGrrl) December 2, 2020

Hong Kong police arrest 11 on suspicion of aiding activists' escape attempt: media https://t.co/RGCWFngmt3 pic.twitter.com/so5lw3Cj96

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 14, 2021

 

 

Try using suspicion!

Which of the following words can be a synonym of suspicion? 

A. distrust
B. mistrust
C. misgiving
D. all of the above