suspicion

B1 Topic:Emotions & Feelings

Also spelled thuthpithion

US /səˈspɪʃ.ən/ See IPA manual

Freq #5231

Meanings

1

noun
A feeling that something is wrong or that someone has done something bad, without clear proof.

The neighbours watched the empty house with growing suspicion.
2

noun
A belief or feeling that something is probably true.

I had a suspicion that she would be late again.
3

noun
A very small amount or slight sign of something.

There was just a suspicion of a smile on his face.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a feeling that something is... distrust

2 noun · a belief or feeling that... hunch

More inkling

Word family

Forms suspicionedsuspicions

Derived forms suspect suspicious

Appears in

Proverbs (2)

See all

Simplified etymology

Suspicion entered English in the Middle English period from the same Latin word family as suspect. Its ultimate source is Latin suspicere, “to mistrust,” formed from sub-, “from below,” and specere, “to look.”

Etymology

From Middle English suspecioun, borrowed from Latin suspīciō, suspīciōnem, from suspicere, from sub- (“up to”) with specere (“to look at”). Perhaps partly through the influence of Old French sospeçon (or rather the Anglo-Norman form suspecioun). Equivalent to suspect + -ion.

*speḱ- Proto-Indo-European suspecioun Middle English suspicio Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Emotions & Feelings

External links

# suspicion

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /səˈspɪʃ.ən/
**Frequency rank:** 5231

## Meanings
1. A feeling that something is wrong or that someone has done something bad, without clear proof.
2. A belief or feeling that something is probably true.
3. A very small amount or slight sign of something.

## Examples
- The neighbours watched the empty house with growing suspicion.
- I had a suspicion that she would be late again.
- There was just a suspicion of a smile on his face.

## Synonyms
- inkling

## Derived Forms
- suspect
- suspicious

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *speḱ-
- Root: suspecioun
- Root: suspicio

## Etymology
From Middle English suspecioun, borrowed from Latin suspīciō, suspīciōnem, from suspicere, from sub- (“up to”) with specere (“to look at”). Perhaps partly through the influence of Old French sospeçon (or rather the Anglo-Norman form suspecioun). Equivalent to suspect + -ion.

## AI Etymology
Suspicion is from Middle English suspecioun, borrowed from Latin suspīciō, suspīciōnem, from suspicere, from sub- (“up to”) with specere (“to look at”). Perhaps partly through the influence of Old French sospeçon (or rather the Anglo-Norman form suspecioun). Equivalent to suspect + -ion. In present-day use, it can mean a feeling that something is wrong or that someone has done something bad, without clear proof, or a belief or feeling that something is probably true.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings

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