Suspect Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

suspect ; adjective. English Language Learners Definition of suspect. (Entry 1 of 3) · not able to be trusted : causing feelings of doubt or suspicion ; noun. Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut suspect adjective SaveWord sus·​pect |\ˈsə-ˌspekt ,sə-ˈspekt\ Definitionofsuspect (Entry1of3) 1 :regardedordeservingtoberegardedwithsuspicion:suspected investigatessuspectemployees 2 :doubtful,questionable whoseskillsaresuspect—PeterVecsey suspect noun sus·​pect |\ˈsə-ˌspekt \ Definitionofsuspect (Entry2of3) :onethatissuspected especially :apersonsuspectedofacrime suspect verb sus·​pect |\sə-ˈspekt \ suspected;suspecting;suspects Definitionofsuspect (Entry3of3) transitiveverb 1 :toimagine(one)tobeguiltyorculpableonslightevidenceorwithoutproof suspecthimofgivingfalseinformation 2 :tohavedoubtsof:distrust suspectshermotives 3 :toimaginetoexistorbetrue,likely,orprobable Isuspecthe'sright intransitiveverb :toimaginesomethingtobetrueorlikely Synonyms&Antonyms MoreExampleSentences LearnMoreAboutsuspect Synonyms&Antonymsforsuspect Synonyms:Adjective debatable, disputable, dodgy [chieflyBritish], doubtable, doubtful, dubious, dubitable, equivocal, fishy, problematic (alsoproblematical), queer, questionable, shady, shaky, suspicious Synonyms:Verb assume, conjecture, daresay, guess, imagine, presume, speculate, suppose, surmise, suspicion [chieflydialect] Antonyms:Adjective certain, hands-down, incontestable, indisputable, indubitable, questionless, sure, undeniable, undoubted, unproblematic, unquestionable VisittheThesaurusforMore  ExamplesofsuspectinaSentence Adjective Theroomhadasuspectodor. sinceshewascarryingnocashorcreditcards,herclaimtothestore'sdetectivesthatshehadintendedtopayfortheitemswassuspect Noun Onesuspecthasbeenarrested. Sheisapossiblesuspectinconnectionwiththekidnapping. Theprimesuspectforthefoodpoisoningisthepotatosalad. Verb He'ssuspectedinfourburglaries. Thepolicedonotsuspectmurderinthiscase. Thefirechiefsuspectsarson. Isuspectitwillrain. Callthedoctorimmediatelyifyoususpectyou'vebeeninfected. Thelatestresearchconfirmswhatscientistshavelongsuspected. Isuspectshe'snotwhoshesayssheis. “Wehaven'tdoneourhomework.”“Isuspectedasmuch.” Isuspectedhismotivesingivingmethemoney. Ihavereasontosuspecthersinceritywhenshemakespromiseslikethat. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb:Adjective Investigatorshadnosuspectinformationorvehicledescriptiontoreleaseasof10p.m. — JenGuadarrama,TheIndianapolisStar,12Dec.2021 KevinAllen,aPortlandpolicespokesperson,saidtheagencydoesn’tyethavesuspectinformationtorelease. — oregonlive,1Dec.2021 Policehavereleasedphotostakenfromsurveillancevideothatcapturedtheshooting,butnosuspectinformationhasbeenreleasedandnoarrestshavebeenmade. — NBCNews,23Nov.2021 Policehavereleasedphotostakenfromsurveillancevideothatcapturedtheshooting,butnosuspectinformationhasbeenreleasedandnoarrestshavebeenmade. — AdrianSainz,ajc,22Nov.2021 Policetweetedthatnosuspectinformationwasavailableintheshooting,whichtookplaceatMakeda’sCookie’snearMemphisInternationalAirport. — AdrianSainz,chicagotribune.com,17Nov.2021 Policetweetedthatnosuspectinformationwasavailableintheshooting,whichtookplaceatMakeda’sCookie’snearMemphisInternationalAirport. — AdrianSainz,BostonGlobe.com,17Nov.2021 Nofurtherdetails,includingsuspectinformation,wereavailableasof8:30a.m.Thursday. — BrieannaJ.Frank,TheArizonaRepublic,14Oct.2021 Thatmeasuresetupasystemthroughwhichpolicedepartmentswouldemailsuspectinformationtorecyclers,whowouldthenbeonthelookoutandreportbacktopoliceasneeded. — TheSaltLakeTribune,26Sep.2021 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Noun ThisdetailwasdisclosedWednesdayinadocumentseekingalowerbondforJenniferandJamesCrumbley,theparentsoftheshootingsuspect,whoarefacinginvoluntarymanslaughtercharges. — TresaBaldas,DetroitFreePress,22Dec.2021 Chisholm,chiefjudgeexplainlowbailgiventoWaukeshaparadesuspectinearliercaseRELATED:TheWaukeshaChristmasParadeattackhasraisedquestionsaboutbailinWisconsin. — BruceVielmetti,MilwaukeeJournalSentinel,20Dec.2021 Thepolicedepartmentisofferinga$4,000rewardforinformationleadingtothearrestoftheshootingsuspect. — PaulBest,FoxNews,16Dec.2021 TheparentsoftheOxfordschoolshootingsuspect,JenniferandJamesCrumbley,arescheduledtoappearincourtTuesday,chargedwithfourcountsofinvoluntarymanslaughtereach. — Editors,USATODAY,14Dec.2021 TheshootingsuspectpleadednotguiltyonDec.1andisbeingheldwithoutbond. — AudreyConklin,FoxNews,14Dec.2021 Authoritiesdidn'timmediatelyprovideadescriptionoftheshootingsuspect,andnoarrestswereannounced. — CBSNews,13Dec.2021 TheweekaheadMondayMichiganschoolshootingsuspectEthanCrumbleywillbeincourtMonday. — FaithKarimi,CNN,12Dec.2021 Soegregious':ParentsofMichiganschoolshootingsuspectcharged. — FrankWitsil,USATODAY,9Dec.2021 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Verb Whichiswhyoverthepandemic,asMacdonald,nevermuchforstickingtosocialplans,grewsickerandbecameevenmoreelusive,hisfriendshadnoreasontosuspectanythingwaswrong. — JamieLaurenKeilesIsmailMuhammadKimTingleyBenoitDenizet-lewisSamAndersonJazmineHughesIrinaAleksanderSashaWeissRowanRicardoPhillipsStellaBugbeeMichaelPaternitiMaggieJonesRobertDraperRobHoerburgerJasonZengerleReginaldDwayneBettsJaneHuDavidMarcheseHanifAbdurraqibJennaWorthamAnthonyGiardinaNielaOrrAmyX.Wang,NewYorkTimes,25Dec.2021 ThethreemenhadnolegitimatereasontosuspectArberyofwrongdoingandhadnolegalrighttodetainhim,Dunikoskihasargued. — RebeccaRosenberg,FoxNews,17Nov.2021 ProsecutorLindaDunikoskisaidduringheropeningstatementthatArberywasunarmedandgavethemennoreasontosuspecthimofwrongdoing. — KateBrumback,ajc,14Nov.2021 DefenseattorneyssaythedefendantshadreasontosuspectArberywasaburglar. — CBSNews,10Nov.2021 DefenseattorneyssaythedefendantshadreasontosuspectArberywasaburglar. — BostonGlobe.com,9Nov.2021 Buttherewasneveranyscientificreasontosuspectthatthesevaccinescouldcauseinfertility. — Fortune,5Nov.2021 Atthesametime,thereisreasontosuspectthattheinflationreflectscausesmuchmorefundamentalandlasting. — MiltonEzrati,Forbes,4Nov.2021 GaryCrainwiththeUniversityofArkansasPoliceDepartmentsaidthoserespondingfirsttothefraternityhousefoundnoreasontosuspectcriminalactivity. — JaimeAdame,ArkansasOnline,1Aug.2021 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'suspect.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore FirstKnownUseofsuspect Adjective 14thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1Noun 1591,inthemeaningdefinedaboveVerb 15thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedattransitivesense1 HistoryandEtymologyforsuspect Adjective MiddleEnglish,fromAnglo-French,fromLatinsuspectus,frompastparticipleofsuspicere Verb MiddleEnglish,fromLatinsuspectare,frequentativeofsuspiceretolookupat,regardwithawe,suspect,fromsub-,sus-up,secretly+speceretolookat—moreatsub-,spy LearnMoreAboutsuspect Sharesuspect PosttheDefinitionofsuspecttoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofsuspectonTwitter TimeTravelerforsuspect Thefirstknownuseofsuspectwas inthe14thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury FromtheEditorsatMerriam-Webster AreYouMisusingThese10CommonWords? AreYouMisusingThese10CommonWords? Youkeepusingthatword.Idonotthinkitmeanswhatyouthinkitmeans. DictionaryEntriesNearsuspect susp suspect suspectable SeeMoreNearbyEntries  PhrasesRelatedtosuspect theusualsuspects Statisticsforsuspect LastUpdated 26Dec2021 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Suspect.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suspect.Accessed1Jan.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforsuspect suspect adjective EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofsuspect (Entry1of3) :notabletobetrusted:causingfeelingsofdoubtorsuspicion suspect noun EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofsuspect (Entry2of3) :apersonwhoisbelievedtobepossiblyguiltyofcommittingacrime :athingthatisthoughtofasapossiblecauseofsomethingbad suspect verb EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofsuspect (Entry3of3) :tothinkthat(someone)ispossiblyguiltyofacrimeorofdoingsomethingwrong :tothinkthat(something)ispossiblythecauseofsomethingbad :tothinkthat(acrime)haspossiblybeencommitted SeethefulldefinitionforsuspectintheEnglishLanguageLearnersDictionary suspect verb sus·​pect |\sə-ˈspekt \ suspected;suspecting KidsDefinitionofsuspect (Entry1of3) 1 :tosupposetobetrueorlikely Ihidthemoneywherenoonewouldsuspect. 2 :tohavedoubtsof:distrust Isuspecthisreasonsforhelping. 3 :toimaginetobeguiltywithoutproof "Andifanyoneheresuspectsusofmurder,forgetit,webothhave…alibis."—EllenRaskin,TheWestingGame suspect noun sus·​pect |\ˈsə-ˌspekt \ KidsDefinitionofsuspect (Entry2of3) :apersonwhoisthoughttobeguiltyofsomething suspect adjective sus·​pect |\ˈsə-ˌspekt ,sə-ˈspekt\ KidsDefinitionofsuspect (Entry3of3) :thoughtofwithsuspicion Herhonestyissuspect. suspect adjective sus·​pect |\ˈsəs-ˌpekt,sə-ˈspekt \ Legal Definitionofsuspect (Entry1of3) :regardedordeservingtoberegardedwithsuspicionorheightenedscrutiny suspect noun sus·​pect |\ˈsəs-ˌpekt \ Legal Definitionofsuspect (Entry2of3) :apersonsuspectedofacrime also :apersonapprehendedforbutnotyetchargedwithanoffense suspect transitiveverb sus·​pect |\sə-ˈspekt \ Legal Definitionofsuspect (Entry3of3) 1 :toimagine(one)tobeguiltyonslightevidenceorwithoutproof 2 :toimaginetoexistorbeprobable theyhadreasonablecausetosuspectabuse HistoryandEtymologyforsuspect Adjective Latinsuspectus,frompastparticipleofsuspiceretolookupat,regardwithawe,suspect,fromsub-sus-up,secretly+speceretolookat MorefromMerriam-Websteronsuspect Nglish:TranslationofsuspectforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofsuspectforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY rejuvenate SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! 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