suspicion

[suh-spish-uh n] /səˈspɪʃ ən/
noun
1.
act of suspecting.
2.
the state of mind or feeling of one who suspects:
Suspicion kept him awake all night long.
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)
7.
Nonstandard. to suspect.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English < Latin suspīciōn- (stem of suspīciō), equivalent to suspīc- (variant stem of suspicere to look from below, suspect) + -iōn- -ion
Related forms
presuspicion, noun
self-suspicion, noun
supersuspicion, noun
Synonyms
2. doubt, mistrust, misgiving. 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.
Examples from the web for suspicion
  • There was this sort of suspicion that if he's that popular, he must by definition have been too accommodating.
  • To deviate from this route-to paddle a kayak down a river-arouses suspicion.
  • Now that security was removed-and the air seemed rife with suspicion.
  • The dangers to a continuation of this peace to-day are largely the fear and suspicion which still haunt the world.
  • But the new-comer gradually began to arouse his attention, then his wonder, then suspicion and even alarm.
  • Upon suspicion, report, checkout and even choose to report to local authorities.
  • The failure of the code-breaking attempts has raised the suspicion that there may not be any cipher to crack.
  • Or maybe you also had a nagging suspicion that, in fact, boys are better at math.
  • Too sympathetic people deserve probably be regarded with suspicion.
  • But if you haven't, there are bad vibes and suspicion all round.
British Dictionary definitions for suspicion

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, in such a position that no guilt may be thought or implied, esp through having an unblemished reputation
6.
on suspicion, as a suspect
7.
under suspicion, regarded with distrust
Derived Forms
suspicional, adjective
suspicionless, adjective
Word Origin
C14: from Old French sospeçon, from Latin suspīciō distrust, from suspicere to mistrust; see suspect
Word Origin and History for suspicion
n.

late 13c., from Anglo-French suspecioun, from Old French suspeçun, sospeçon "mistrust, suspicion" (French soupçon), from Latin suspectionem (nominative suspectio) "mistrust, suspicion, fear, awe," from past participle stem of suspicere "look up at" (see suspect). Spelling in English influenced 14c. by learned Old French forms closer to Latin suspicionem.

Idioms and Phrases with suspicion

suspicion

see: above suspicion