Suspect Means to Look Up At Someone
To suspect is to believe someone guilty without proof. The Latin means to look up at, and it captures a sideways glance perfectly.
To suspect is to believe something is true, especially something bad, without having proof. The Latin *suspicere* means to look up at or to look at from below — the glance of someone watching without appearing to. As a noun, stressed on the first syllable, a *suspect* is a person the police are interested in but have not charged.
- To believe without proof. *I suspect he knew.*
- A person under suspicion. *The main suspect.*
- Doubtful. *Evidence of suspect quality.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | suspect | Suspect foul play. |
| Noun | suspect | A named suspect. |
| Adjective | suspect | A suspect package. |
| Noun | suspicion | Under suspicion. |
| Adjective | suspicious | A suspicious mind. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Police have named a suspect.Noun, stressed SUS-pect.
- I suspect she already knows.Verb, stressed sus-PECT.
- The wiring looked suspect.Adjective: of doubtful soundness.
Stages in a case
- Person of interest — someone police want to speak to
- Suspect — believed to be involved
- Arrested — detained on suspicion
- Charged — formally accused
- Defendant — the accused person in court
From Latin *suspectus*, from *suspicere*, to look up at or mistrust, from *sub* and *specere*, to look — the same root as *inspect* and *spectacle*.
Suspect or accused?
A suspect is under investigation. An accused person has been formally charged, and in court is the defendant.
Where is the stress?
SUS-pect for the noun and adjective, sus-PECT for the verb.