Suspect definition

sə-spĕkt
suspected suspects
See word origin
Frequency:
To have doubts about (something); distrust.

I suspect his motives.

verb
14
2
To have suspicion.
verb
6
2
To consider (a person) guilty without proof.

The police suspect her of murder.

verb
5
2
To consider (something) to be true or probable on little or no evidence.

I suspect they are very disappointed.

verb
3
2
To be suspicious; have suspicion.
verb
3
2
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One who is suspected, especially of having committed a crime.
noun
1
0
The definition of a suspect is a person believed to have committed a crime.

An example of a suspect is a person seen leaving the scene of a robbery with one of the stolen televisions.

noun
1
1
Suspect is defined as to think something is likely or believe someone has done something wrong or is guilty of something.

An example of to suspect is a girlfriend thinking her boyfriend is cheating on her.

verb
0
0
Open to or viewed with suspicion.

A suspect policy; suspect motives.

adjective
0
0
To believe (someone) to be guilty of something specified, on little or no evidence.
verb
0
0
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To believe to be bad, wrong, harmful, questionable, etc.; distrust.
verb
0
0
To think it probable or likely; guess; surmise; suppose.
verb
0
0
Viewed with suspicion; suspected.
adjective
0
0
A person who is suspected, esp. one suspected of a crime, etc.
noun
0
0
A person believed to have committed a crime and who is, therefore, being investigated by the police. Having a slight belief or a vague idea but not a knowledge that something happened or that someone did something.
verb
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0
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To imagine or suppose (something) to be true, or to exist, without proof.

To suspect the presence of disease.

verb
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0
To distrust or have doubts about (something or someone).

To suspect the truth of a story.

verb
0
0
To believe (someone) to be guilty.

I suspect him of being the thief.

verb
0
0
(intransitive) To have suspicion.
verb
0
0
A person who is suspected of something, in particular of committing a crime.

Round up the usual suspects. "” Casablanca.

noun
0
0
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Viewed with suspicion; suspected.
adjective
0
0

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
suspect
Plural:
suspects

Origin of suspect

  • Middle English suspecten from Old French suspecter from Latin suspectāre frequentative of suspicere to look up at, suspect su-, sub- from below sub– specere to look at spek- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Latin suspectus, perfect passive participle of suspiciō (“mistrust, suspect"), from sus-, combining form of sub (“under"), + speciō (“watch, look at").

    From Wiktionary

Suspect Sentence Examples

  • So they did suspect her.

  • Did they suspect she was here?

  • I don't suspect so.

  • Most important, did he ever suspect her foolish thoughts?

  • Did he suspect she had overheard his phone call?

More sentences

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Also Mentioned In

Words near suspect in the Dictionary