Heard on Criminal Minds: unsub
What is the meaning of unsub? It is clear through context that this is the criminal, but what does the word mean?
Muchas gracias
5 Answers
It's an acronym of "unknown subject of an investigation" (or an abbreviation?)
Issabela, you are 2 for 2 in regards to Heidita's questions!! Sweet 
I think 'unsab' is just trashy English. Many of the crime related TV shows use contraction like that. I guess they think it is more sophisticated.
This is just an opinion, feel free to criticize it. 
It does seem like another version of Quick Speak (my term) where everything is getting abbreviated and made into contractions. Unsub would be jargon at best.
I think that these abbreviated words are used in special settings and are unique to those settings. For instance, police would use the term "vic" for victim. However, it is not a term the rest of us would use when referring to that word. The military also does this, although I would not attempt anything beyond MRE or meal ready to eat.
I think most professions use this sort of terminology. I see it in medicine and music from my stand point. I don't think it is anything more serious than that.
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