accusation
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accusation
A claim or allegation that someone has done something wrong, criminal, or immoral.
Er wies die Anschuldigung, Firmengelder veruntreut zu haben, entschieden zurück.
He firmly rejected the accusation that he had embezzled company funds.
The word is derived from the verb 'anschuldigen' (to accuse), which consists of 'an-' and 'Schuld' (guilt/blame). It literally means to assign blame to someone for something. The ending '-ung' turns the verb into a noun.
Er wurde des Diebstahls angeschuldigt.
He was accused of theft.
Certain verbs are often used with 'Anschuldigung' (accusation): you can 'erheben' (make/raise), 'vorbringen' (put forward), 'zurückweisen' (reject), 'bestreiten' (deny) an accusation, or 'sich dagegen verteidigen' (defend oneself against it).
Die Politikerin musste sich gegen schwere Anschuldigungen verteidigen.
The politician had to defend herself against serious accusations.
The person being accused is named with the preposition 'gegen' (against). The content of the accusation often follows in a subordinate clause with 'dass' (that) or in an infinitive construction with 'zu' (to).
Die Anschuldigung, er habe gelogen, traf ihn sehr.
The accusation that he had lied hit him hard.
suspicion
'der Verdacht' and 'die Anschuldigung' can both have to do with something wrongful. The difference lies in how strong and direct the statement is. A suspicion is an assumption without certain proof: you think it is possible that someone did something. An accusation is a direct allegation against a person. Learners may confuse the words because both often come up in contexts involving the police, arguments, or problems. If you are only unsure, 'Verdacht' fits. If you openly accuse someone of something, 'Anschuldigung' fits.
Nach der Anschuldigung wollte Paul sofort erklären, was wirklich passiert war.
After the accusation, Paul immediately wanted to explain what had really happened.
Im Büro hat das Team einen Verdacht, wer die Akten gelöscht hat.
At the office, the team has a suspicion about who deleted the files.