Main Entry:

³sus·pect

Pronunciation:

\sə-ˈspekt\

Function:

verb

Etymology:

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

Date:

15th century

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