suspicion
pronunciation
How to pronounce suspicion in British English:
UK [səˈspɪʃn]
How to pronounce suspicion in American English:
US [səˈspɪʃn]
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- Noun:
- an impression that something might be the case
- doubt about someone's honesty
- the state of being suspected
- being of a suspicious nature
Word Origin
- suspicion (n.)
- c. 1300, "act of suspecting; unverified conjecture of wrongdoing; mistrust, distrust," from Anglo-French suspecioun, corresponding to Old French suspicion, sospeçon "mistrust, suspicion" (Modern French soupçon), from Late Latin suspectionem (nominative suspectio) "mistrust, suspicion, fear, awe," noun of state from past participle stem of Latin suspicere "look up at" (see suspect (adj.)). Spelling in English influenced 14c. by learned Old French forms closer to Latin suspicionem. Used as a verb meaning "to suspect," it figures in literary representations of U.S. Western (Kentucky) slang from 1830s. "Suspicion" words in other Indo-European languages also tend to be words for "think" or "look" with prefixes meaning "under, behind;" such as Greek hypopsia (hypo "under," opsis "sight"), hyponoia (noein "to think"); Lettish aizduomas (aiz "behind," duomat "think"); Russian podozrenie (Slavic podu "under," Old Church Slavonic zireti "see, look"); Dutch achterdocht (achter "behind," denken "to think").
Synonym
incredulity unbelief shyness gut doubt bad hunch funny dubiousness leeriness watchfulness hesitation suspicion qualm incredulousness wariness feeling question sneaking viber mistrust uncertainty dubitation distrust doubtfulness dubiety misgiving disbelief
Example
- 1. But why the suspicion in the first place ?
- 2. Suspicion among all three historical enemies dates back centuries .
- 3. It is being investigated on suspicion of knowingly importing illegal madagascan rosewood .
- 4. Whatever the truth , the hacker world must now be seething with suspicion .
- 5. In europe chinese firms are broadly welcome ; in america they are often viewed with suspicion .