general suspicion
Loading your saved state.
general suspicion
A blanket suspicion that is not directed at a single person, but at an entire group, often without concrete evidence.
Die neuen Kontrollen stellen alle Reisenden unter einen Generalverdacht.
The new checks place all travelers under general suspicion.
The word consists of 'General-' and 'Verdacht' (suspicion). The prefix 'General-' here does not mean 'military general', but rather 'general' or 'comprehensive'. A 'Generalverdacht' (general suspicion) is therefore a general suspicion against everyone.
Ein Generalverdacht gegen eine ganze Bevölkerungsgruppe ist unfair.
General suspicion against an entire population group is unfair.
This noun is very often used in fixed expressions. The most important ones are 'unter Generalverdacht stehen' (to be under general suspicion) and 'jemanden unter Generalverdacht stellen' (to place someone under general suspicion).
Durch das Verhalten einiger weniger stehen nun alle Mitarbeiter unter Generalverdacht.
Because of the behavior of a few people, all employees are now under general suspicion.
The term 'Generalverdacht' (general suspicion) is often used in formal contexts such as politics, the media, and legal debates. It often has a critical or negative connotation.
Der Politiker wehrte sich gegen den Generalverdacht der Korruption.
The politician defended himself against the general suspicion of corruption.
suspicion
'Verdacht' and 'Generalverdacht' are closely related because both can express an assumption without certain proof. A 'Verdacht' is usually directed at a specific person or a concrete matter. A 'Generalverdacht' is blanket suspicion and affects a whole group, even though there is no concrete evidence against everyone. The words can be confused because 'Generalverdacht' is a type of suspicion. The difference is the scope: 'Verdacht' can be specific, while 'Generalverdacht' is broad and often unfair to a group.
Nach dem Vorfall standen plötzlich alle Jugendlichen im Park unter Generalverdacht.
After the incident, all the teenagers in the park suddenly came under general suspicion.
Der Verdacht gegen den Nachbarn wurde nach der Befragung schwächer.
The suspicion against the neighbor became weaker after the questioning.