Forms: α. 3–6 suspecion, 4–5 -ioun, 4–6 -yon, (4–5 susspecyun, -ion, sus(s)pescioun, suspessyon, 6 Sc. suspetion, -ione, -ioun). β. 4–5 suspicioun, (5 -ycon, 5–6 -icyon, -ycyon, -ycion, 6 -iciounn, sus(s)pissioun), 6–7 suspition, (6 -ioun, -ione, susspitioun), 5– suspicion. [a. AF. suspecioun (earlier suspeziun), var. OF. so(u)speçon (mod.F. soupçon) Pr. sospeisso, Pg. suspeição:—med.L. suspectiōnem SUSPECTION. The orig. form suspecio(u)n finally gave way to suspicion, which arose in the 14th cent. through the influence of ‘learned’ OF. suspicion or of L. suspīcio, -ōnem, n. of action to suspicĕre to SUSPECT.]
1. The action of suspecting; the feeling or state of mind of one who suspects; imagination or conjecture of the existence of something evil or wrong without proof; apprehension of guilt or fault on slight grounds or without clear evidence.
In early use often qualified by evil, wicked, false.
α. 1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 3971. Enuyus man ys so ful of susspecyun Þat euyl hym þenketh al, as a felun.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 3487. When þou supposes any wykkednes, Thurgh suspecion, þar na es.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 40. Ȝif … here wyues ben of sich age þat noon euyl suspecion may be reysed of hem.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., II. xxxvii. 155. Som signe wherby eny suspecion may be had.
β. c. 1400. Cato’s Morals, in Cursor M., App. iv. 311. Qua has … suspicioun in þoȝt þai haue lefte ese.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 286. Fals defamacyon, fals suspicyon.
1548. Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 216. That the duke & all that came with hym, should be taken as hys trew frendes, without fraude or yll suspicion.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 315 b. Many times woulde they come into the Citie, neither wanted that thinge great suspicion.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., Wks. (Globe), 631/2. He may under his mantell goe privilye armed, without suspicion of any.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., ¶ 1. It is welcommed with suspicion in stead of loue.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacræ, I. v. § 6. 84. There seems to be very strong ground of suspition that some such thing was designed by Manetho.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 18 July 1679. [Oates and Bedlow] swearing positively to some particulars, which drew suspicion upon their truth.
1750. Johnson, Rambler, No. 79, ¶ 1. Suspicion … has always been considered, when it exceeds the common measures, as a token of depravity.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xix. No one may be discovered to whom suspicion attaches.
1889. Markham, Life J. Davis, xiii. (1891), 229. The story is continued by Habakkuk Prickett, whose narrative is open to some suspicion.
personified. 1608. Machin, Dumb Knt., IV. i. Thou curse of greatness, waking-ey’d suspicion.
1609. B. Jonson, Masque Queenes, 56, Wks. (1616), 948. Wild Suspition, Whose eyes doe neuer sleepe.
1613. Marston, Insatiate C’tess, III. Wks. 1856, III. 143. Suspition is a dogge that still doth bite Without a cause.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, IV. 47. Suspicion hath double Eyes.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. V. iii. There sharpest gazes Suspicion into the pale dim World-Whirlpool.
b. An instance of this.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Tim. vi. 5. Enuyes, stryues, blasfemyes, yuele suspiciouns.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVI. liii. (1495), L iv/2. Iacinctus … dooth away eleyngenes & sorowe, & also vayn suspecyons [Bodl. MS. suspessiouns].
1549. Compl. Scot., xiv. 117. He beleuand to keip hym fra ane gritar suspetione.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 131. They of old time did cleere themselues of heinous suspitions by taking of an othe.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Suspicion (Arb.), 528. Svspicions amongst Thoughts, are like Bats amongst Birds, they euer fly by Twilight.
1678. R. L’Estrange, Seneca’s Mor. (1702), 342. Nor is it only by Tales, and Stories, that we are inflam’d, but Suspitions, Countenances [etc.].
1792. Burke, Corr. (1844), III. 370. To lie under those criminal suspicions would be still more grievous to them than the penalties themselves.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xii. If you leave me without any better reason but your own nonsensical suspicions.
1873. Nairne Peerage Evidence (1874), 129. I have a suspicion that Mrs. Sandeman is suffering from organic disease of the heart.
† c. transf. A ground of suspicion; a suspicious circumstance. Obs.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., V. iii. 187. 3. Wat. Here is a Frier…. We tooke this Mattocke and this Spade from him, As he was comming from this Church-yard side. Con. A great suspition.
1687. T. Brown, Saints in Uproar, Wks. 1730, I. 81. I find you go by different names, a shrewd suspicion of your being cheats.
2. Constructions and phrases.
a. Const. of († in, † to, † upon) the person of whom some evil is suspected.
α. c. 1290. St. Sebastian, 29, in S. Eng. Leg., 179. Ich habbe to þe suspecion … Þat þov aȝen me … Itorned hast þi þouȝt.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 1647. Stod on a day in his malencolye This Troylus and yn suspecion Of here for whom he wende for to dye. (c. 1386), Man of Law’s T., 583. Hem that hadden wronge suspecion Vpon this sely Innocent Custance.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 89. The king … had no maner suspecion To her of their fals treason.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, III. iii. (1883), 102. He vnderstode that the parents and frendes of them had suspecion in hym.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xxxii. 46. Desyring hym to haue no suspecyons to hym.
a. 1533. [see d].
β. 1590. Spenser, Muiop., 377. Suspition of friend, nor feare of foe … had he at all.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. iii. 210. Let Somerset be Regent o’re the French, Because in Yorke this breedes suspition.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, x. You do wrong even to intimate a suspicion of my Lord of March.
† b. Const. of the thing of which some evil is suspected. Obs.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1290, Dido. This dido hath suspescioun of this And thoughte wel that it was al a-mys. Ibid. (c. 1386), Pars. T., ¶ 380. Whan he hath any wikked suspecion of thyng ther he ne woot of it no soothfastnesse.
c. 1400. Beryn, 2474. Þouȝe I suspecioune Have of yeur wordis.
1652. Culpepper, Eng. Phys. (1656), 397. [This] may seem to give some suspition of honesty.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 312. In order to increase the suspicions already entertained of his generalship.
c. Const. of the evil suspected.
a. 1350. St. Andrew, 392, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 9. Lat me ett els whore so þou will, For drede of sum suspecion of ill.
1421. 26 Pol. Poems, 82. In towche is susspescioun of mys.
1483–4. Act 1 Rich. III., c. 3. Dyvers persones ben … imprisoned for suspecion of felonie.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 39 b. Which nation was euer furthest of from all suspecion of Heresye.
1605. Shaks., Macb., II. iv. 27. Malcolme and Donalbaine … Are stolne away and fled, which puts vpon them Suspition of the deed.
1631. Jordan, Nat. Bathes, Ded. (1669), p. vi. Having removed out of my mind all suspition of misconstruction.
1686. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 176. Luke Watson Lay under suspition of being Carnally Concerned with a Woman Servt.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxvii. III. 37. The council of Milan obstinately rejected the suspicion of danger, with a blind confidence.
1806. Surr, Winter in Lond., III. 53. I … was about to relate my suspicions of the fate of his wife and child.
1866. G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., i. 5. A minute description of my own person such as would at once clear me from any suspicion of vanity.
d. † To have, take, occas. bear suspicion: to entertain a suspicion. (Now only to have a, any, no, etc., suspicion, or suspicions.) † To give one suspicion: to cause one to suspect.
13[?]. K. Alis., 453. Þeo barouns haddyn suspecioun.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 561. As I was comynge Al sodeynly he lefte his compleynynge. Of which I toke somwhat suspecion.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 10. Nay, syr, not so, lest men wold haue suspessyon of euell.
1471. Caxton, Recuyell (Sommer), 90. She … had suspecion that he wold do harme to Iupiter.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 1027. Whiche might be occasyon to gyve you suspicion.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lxv. 222. To thentent that he take in you no suspecyon.
1588. Parke, trans. Mendoza’s Hist. China, 257. More for that none should doo to them any harme, then for any euill suspition they had of them.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1321. To cleare her From that suspicion which the world might bear her. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., I. ii. 460. His ill-ta’ne suspition.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 7 May 1685. Under pretence to serve the Church of England, he gave suspicion of gratifying another party.
e. † Of suspicion: that is (to be) suspected, suspicious. † Without (or but) suspicion: without being suspected, unsuspected. † Out of all suspicion: beyond all doubt. Upon or on suspicion († by suspicion): on the basis of mere supposition (of evil or wrongdoing). Above suspicion: too good or worthy to be suspected of evil.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 1652. Or it es a signe of suspecyon Þat he es in way of dampnacyon.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 555. For I but suspicioun Micht repair till hir preuely.
1514. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. I. 101. Uppon suspicion he was taken by the Popis commandment and sett in Castill Angill.
1538. Starkey, England (1878), 122. Not wythout cause, apon suspycyon only, euery man may frely accuse other of treson.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 118. Many were apprehended, some by information, and some by suspicion.
1586. A. Day, Engl. Secretorie, II. (1625), 10. L. thy kinsman … being … brought before a Iustice vpon suspition of his wretched liuing.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., V. iii. 222. Bring forth the parties of suspition. Ibid. (1599), Much Ado, II. iii. 166. Shee’s an excellent sweet Lady, and (out of all suspition) she is vertuous.
1660. Blount, Boscobel, II. (1680), 8. She procured Him the better Chamber and Accommodation without any suspition.
1683. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 84. To aprehend some persons upon suspition of putting away of bad money.
1772. Jacob’s Law Dict., s.v., A person may be taken up on suspicion, where a felony is done.
1850. Merivale, Rom. Emp., iv. (1865), I. 152. The wife of Caesar must be above suspicion.
1867. Philatelist, 1 Jan., 18/1. The rare red-brown sixpenny Barbados, unperforated,… is not altogether above suspicion.
† f. In suspicion: (a) suspecting; (b) suspected. To have in suspicion: to suspect. To bring in or into suspicion: to cause to be suspected. To enter into suspicion with: to become suspicious of. Obs.
Cf. quot. a. 1340 in sense 4.
c. 1450. Merlin, xxvii. 539. Thei wolde not slepe, but were euer in susspecion of the saisnes.
1471. Arriv. Edw. IV (Camden), 10. Hymselfe was had in great suspicion.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Æsop, II. xviii. They … shall euer lyue ryȝte heuyly and in suspycon.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 181 b. This kyng Iames from his firste rule, began to entre into suspicion with William Erle Douglas.
1555. Bradford, in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. xlv. 131. I declare nothinge to bringe these noblemen into suspition.
1561. T. Hoby, trans. Castiglione’s Courtyer, IV. (1577), Y vij b. To commit no vice, nor yet to be had in suspition of any vice.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 121. They were had in suspicion to be great Brybers.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., V. ii. 31. This Newes … is so like an old Tale, that the veritie of it is in strong suspition.
1635. A. Stafford, Fem. Glory (1869), 80. Hee that … bringes my Faith to God in suspition.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Wars, 338. He hoped they would not blame the well-known Reputation of the House of Austria, or have him in suspition, now desiring to be the Author of Peace.
1755. Magens, Insurances, I. 269. It is not to be presumed that the meadows could be had in Suspicion, for it was never yet to be discovered, that the cause of the Distemper proceeded from the Ground.
3. gen. Imagination of something (not necessarily evil) as possible or likely; a slight belief or idea of something, or that something is the case; a surmise; a faint notion, an inkling. (Chiefly in negative context.)
c. 1400. Beryn, 3831. And ȝit had I nevir suspecioun,… Who did þat cursid dede.
1482. Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 59. I neuyr herde before nether hadde any suspycyon hethirto that the kynde of women hadde be deprauyd … by suche a foule synne.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 86. The Earle of Douglas … was remaining thair … witht out ony suspetionnis of Schir William Creichtounis gaddering.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 78. There being … not the least Suspicion or Imagination that the Marriage would not Succeed.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., vii. (1653), 132. A round white … Chin, the Candor whereof seems to introduce into the beholders mind, a certaine suspition of a Rosie colour.
a. 1699. Lady Halkett, Autobiog. (Camden), 6. Nott so much as either his sister or mine had the least suspittion of it.
1718. Prior, Poems, Ded. The natural Endowments of Your Mind, (which, without suspicion of Flattery) I may tell You, are very Great.
1752. Hume, Ess. & Treat. (1777), I. 550. This may beget a little suspicion, that even animals depend not on the climate.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, V. v. II. 524. Tippoo, and M. Lally … surrounded Colonel Braithwaite before he had received even a suspicion of their march.
1867. Aug. J. E. Wilson, Vashti, xiii. ‘Can you conjecture the cause of the present trouble?’ ‘I have a suspicion.’
1908. Expositor, July, 20. There was no previous suspicion of her future destiny in the Virgin’s mind.
† 4. Surmise of something future; expectation; esp. expectation or apprehension of evil. Obs. or merged in other senses.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, cxviii[i]. 39. Smyte away my reprofe þat i had in suspecion [Vulg. quod suspicatus sum].
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVIII. 315. [They] haueþ suspecion to be saf, boþe sarrasyns and Iewes, Thorwe Moyses and makamede.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 228. I entered into a great suspition of my lyfe.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 275. The successe of al things … was answerable to our suspicion.
1658. Tradit. Mem. K. James, 44. So high a suspicion of the immense Treasure.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 7 Sept. 1666. There was in truth some days before greate suspicion of those two nations joyning. Ibid., 18 June 1690. On suspicion that he might … come into the Confederacy of the German Princes.
† 5. A slight appearance or indication (of something). Obs. rare–1. (So L. suspicio.)
1565. Jewel, Repl. Harding (1611), 346. M. Harding, not shewing vs any suspition, or token of inordinate heat in that Reuerend Master of the Church of God.
6. A slight or faint trace, very small amount, ‘hint,’ ‘suggestion’ (of something).
This use app. arose as an englishing of SOUPÇON.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, VIII. iii. ¶ 3. As for polite literature … there was not even a suspicion of it in all their talk.
1860. O. W. Holmes, Elsie V., v. (1891), 66. Flip,… made with beer and sugar, and a certain suspicion of strong waters.
1871. M. Collins, Mrq. & Merch., III. iv. 107. He was a wall-eyed horse, with a suspicion of spavin.
Hence Suspicional a., pertaining to suspicion; † Suspicionating vbl. sb., the entertaining of suspicion; Suspicionful a., = SUSPICIOUS 2; Suspicionless a., devoid of suspicion, unsuspecting.
1890. Alien. & Neurol., XI. 347. The same emotional mobility and *suspicional tendencies which characterized her gifted son.
a. 1637. N. Ferrar, trans. Valdés’ 110 Consid. (1638), 311. The *suspicionating, which is as it were a fearing even when it is of the holy spirit.
1917. H. S. Harrison, Queed, xxiii. (1914), 305. That *suspicionful scrutiny so galling to men of spirit.
c. 1650. Don Bellianis, 106. Altogether *suspicionlesse of any such treason.
1824. Blackw. Mag., XV. 168. I, poor dupe, suspicionless.
1840. Galt, Demon of Destiny, 7. As mourning mortals tell, Suspicionless, to old confiding friends, Disastrous tidings.
