suspect

1 of 3

adjective

sus·​pect ˈsə-ˌspekt How to pronounce suspect (audio) sə-ˈspekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
Synonyms of suspectnext
1
: regarded or deserving to be regarded with suspicion : suspected
investigates suspect employees
2
: doubtful, questionable
whose skills are suspect— Peter Vecsey

suspect

2 of 3

noun

sus·​pect ˈsə-ˌspekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
: one that is suspected
especially : a person suspected of a crime

suspect

3 of 3

verb

sus·​pect sə-ˈspekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
suspected; suspecting; suspects

transitive verb

1
: to imagine (one) to be guilty or culpable on slight evidence or without proof
suspect him of giving false information
2
: to have doubts of : distrust
suspects her motives
3
: to imagine to exist or be true, likely, or probable
I suspect he's right

intransitive verb

: to imagine something to be true or likely

Synonyms

Adjective

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of suspect in a Sentence

Adjective The room had a suspect odor. since she was carrying no cash or credit cards, her claim to the store's detectives that she had intended to pay for the items was suspect Noun
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Also, likely aiding in the suspect's speedy apprehension, according to Bumgarner, were the FBI-style protocols soldiers are trained to follow, including quick evacuation, barricading if escape is not possible, and taking swift action to curb imminent danger. — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025 When officers patrolling the area approached, the report says, the suspects fled by foot, and two were caught and positively identified by the victims. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
Lopez said drugs or alcohol are not suspected to be factors in the crash, and the cause is under investigation. — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025 All of these cases have been occurring in Central Harlem, which made the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene suspect that something was amiss about the mist being emitted by the cooling towers in the area. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for suspect

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin suspectus, from past participle of suspicere

Verb

Middle English, from Latin suspectare, frequentative of suspicere to look up at, regard with awe, suspect, from sub-, sus- up, secretly + specere to look at — more at sub-, spy

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of suspect was in the 14th century

Rhymes for suspect

See All Rhymes for suspect

Browse Nearby Words

susp
suspect
suspectable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Suspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suspect. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

suspect

1 of 3 adjective
sus·​pect ˈsəs-ˌpekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
sə-ˈspekt
: regarded with suspicion

suspect

2 of 3 noun
sus·​pect ˈsəs-ˌpekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
: one that is suspected
especially : a person suspected of a crime

suspect

3 of 3 verb
sus·​pect sə-ˈspekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
1
: to have doubts about
2
: to believe to be guilty without proof
suspect someone of theft
3
: to suppose to be true or likely
I suspect that it will rain

Legal Definition

suspect

1 of 3 adjective
sus·​pect ˈsəs-ˌpekt, sə-ˈspekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
: regarded or deserving to be regarded with suspicion or heightened scrutiny

suspect

2 of 3 noun
sus·​pect ˈsəs-ˌpekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
: a person suspected of a crime
also : a person apprehended for but not yet charged with an offense

suspect

3 of 3 transitive verb
sus·​pect sə-ˈspekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
1
: to imagine (one) to be guilty on slight evidence or without proof
2
: to imagine to exist or be probable
they had reasonable cause to suspect abuse
Etymology

Adjective

Latin suspectus, from past participle of suspicere to look up at, regard with awe, suspect, from sub-, sus- up, secretly + specere to look at

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Nglish: Translation of suspect for Spanish Speakers

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