Suspect and suspect are two words that are spelled identically but are pronounced differently and have different meanings, which makes them heteronyms. We will examine the definitions of the words suspect and suspect, where these words came from, and a few examples of their use in sentences.
Suspect (sus SPEKT) is a verb that means to have a feeling or belief that something is true, without having any proof. One may suspect that things are not as they appear or one may suspect that something is untrue or is not genuine. Related words are suspects, suspected, suspecting. The word suspect is derived from the Latin word suspectare, which means mistrust.
Suspect (SUS pekt) may be used as a noun to mean someone who others believe may be guilty of wrongdoing or a crime. Suspect is also an adjective, which describes something unreliable or not genuine. Suspect is also derived from the Latin suspectare.
Examples
The site’s manager is suspected of having failed to properly engage the truck’s brake. (Reuters)
“We suspect that the relatives or friends of Amjad Khan could be behind the murder of Asad Khan,” a police official from the Mailardevpally police station said. (Hindustan Times)
Noah Green, 25, was identified as the suspect in the attack that killed one U.S. Capitol Police officer and injured another, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the inquiry. (USA Today)
The appearance is unsavory and the implications are that the council has been bought and is, at the most, corrupt and, at the least, ignorant of the impression given to the public that their actions are suspect. (Santa Barbara Independent)
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