suspicious English · revision 7899

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1340|origins=la suspiciosus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /səˈspɪʃ.əs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English suspecious, [[bor|xno|suspecious]], Old French suspicios,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(NODE 1998) from Latin [[m|la|suspiciosus|t=causing mistrust; ready to suspect]],^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998) from suspicio, [[suspicion]], from the stem of suspicere, to look up at, suspect (see [[suspect]]).^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Open to or exciting suspicion: 1340 in the OED, the mid-14th century in Etymonline.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Full of suspicion, inclined to believe ill, is from about 1400 (the late 14th century).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) Expressing or indicating suspicion is from 1478 (the late 15th century).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) Etymonline notes that the two opposite directions of meaning, both present in classical Latin, have caused continued confusion,^(Etymonline) and that Poe proposed suspectful for the sense feeling suspicion.^(Etymonline) ''Suspicious-looking'' is from 1843.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1340 – arousing suspicion.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1400 – inclined to suspect.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1478 – expressing suspicion.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1843 – suspicious-looking.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Causing or likely to cause [[suspicion]]; questionable.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Inclined to suspect; [[distrustful]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Expressing suspicion: ''a suspicious glance''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[suspiciously]]

+ * [[suspiciousness]]

+ * [[oversuspicious]]

+ * [[supersuspicious]]

+ * [[unsuspicious]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[suspect]]

+ * [[suspicion]]

+ * [[unsuspecting]]

+ * [[inspect]]

+ * [[spectacle]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}