What does suspicion mean?
Suspicion is a noun meaning the belief that a person or situation may be dishonest, harmful, or otherwise unreliable. It commonly describes a state of distrust based on limited evidence, as in a person being under suspicion, and it can also refer more broadly to a feeling that something is not quite right. The word appears in legal and journalistic language, but it is equally common in conversation and personal description. Suspicion can be reasonable, deliberate, or exaggerated, and its force often depends on the context and the evidence implied. As a countable noun, it can refer to an individual instance of distrust, while the plural suspicions is used for several separate doubts or alleged grounds for concern. The related adjective suspicious describes something that causes or embodies such distrust.
nounSuspicion is the belief that someone has done something wrong, dishonest, or otherwise harmful, especially without clear proof. It can also refer to the state of being regarded as suspect or to the general feeling that something is wrong or unreliable.
- The belief that someone has done something wrong, dishonest, or harmful, usually without conclusive proof.
- The state of being regarded as suspect by others.
- A general feeling that something is wrong, questionable, or unreliable.
"The sudden discrepancy in the accounts cast suspicion on the witness."
"Several people were questioned after the incident because they were under suspicion."
"Her sudden nervousness began to arouse suspicion among the investigators."
The plural is used for separate instances of suspicion, doubts, or alleged grounds for concern.
"Despite her suspicions, she had no evidence that anything was wrong."
Suspicion began as an act of looking closely: the word ultimately comes from Latin roots associated with observing and looking.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does suspicion come from?
The word entered English through Old French suspicion, from Latin suspicio, meaning suspicion or watchfulness. Latin suspicio developed from suspicere, “to suspect” or “to observe,” which is related to the roots sub- and specere, meaning “to look.” Its related English forms include suspect and suspicious, which preserve the same Latin foundation.
How suspicion is actually used
Suspicion is commonly used in legal, journalistic, and formal contexts, but it is also ordinary in everyday speech. It usually suggests a belief that something is wrong without establishing the facts, and it can carry a negative or accusatory implication.
Easily confused with suspicion
Suspicion is the state or feeling of believing that wrongdoing may have occurred, whereas a suspect is a person thought to be involved or a verb meaning to consider someone or something suspicious.
Suspicion is a noun naming a belief or state of distrust, while suspicious is an adjective describing a person, act, or circumstance that may cause distrust.