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suspect

suspect

3.4
A person thought to have committed a crime
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌspɛkt/
translation icon : sospechoso
  • After interviewing witnesses, the police have a clear description of the suspect.
  • the usual suspects
  • the prime suspect
  • arrest the suspect

I was a suspect, but I was OK.

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Examples

Synonyms

accused
vssuspect
2 3.6

A person officially charged with a crime in court

is thought to be guilty but lacks formal charges

Antonyms

54 3.4

A person who is not guilty of a crime or who is naive

Compounds

A person believed to have killed someone but not proven guilty

A person police think stole things from a shop or house

2 6.5

A person people think forced someone to have sex

How Guilty

convict
137 3.2
suspect
3.4
innocent
54 3.4

Surface Forms

suspect singular
suspects plural

Etymology

Suspect comes from old Latin parts sub- ('under') and specere ('to look'), giving the image of 'looking from below' or watching quietly. So a suspect is someone people 'look at' with doubt because they might be guilty.