speculation
Americannoun
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the contemplation or consideration of some subject.
to engage in speculation on humanity's ultimate destiny.
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a single instance or process of consideration.
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a conclusion or opinion reached by such contemplation.
These speculations are impossible to verify.
- Synonyms:
- hypothesis, theory, view, supposition
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conjectural consideration of a matter; conjecture or surmise.
a report based on speculation rather than facts.
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engagement in business transactions involving considerable risk but offering the chance of large gains, especially trading in commodities, stocks, etc., in the hope of profit from changes in the market price.
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a speculative commercial venture or undertaking.
noun
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the act or an instance of speculating
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a supposition, theory, or opinion arrived at through speculating
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investment involving high risk but also the possibility of high profits
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of speculation
1325–75; Middle English speculacioun < Late Latin speculātiōn- (stem of speculātiō ) exploration, observation. See speculate, -ion
Explanation
When you guess about how something is going to come out (or how it happened), that's speculation. You're making an educated guess. When people predict who will win a football game, an Oscar, or an election, it's speculation: people are looking at the facts and making their best guess. Just about anything you say about the future is speculation, because no one knows what will happen. The word is used in the stock market for such financial dealings as "buying on spec," a risky way to make money. Sometimes, this word means something close to meditation — pondering something deeply.
Vocabulary lists containing speculation
The Things They Carried
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100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
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American History II
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The moves have raised concerns about global reliance on U.S.-based technology — and prompted speculation that other countries will increase spending on AI as a means of insurance.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026
The incident was immediately subject to a huge amount of speculation on social media.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Wildlife experts and conservationists had previously observed that, in the wake of the storm, Tapanuli orangutan sightings had dissipated - fuelling speculation that the great apes may have been swept away by floods and landslides.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
The blast came weeks after Thailand's then-ruling junta forcibly repatriated 109 Uyghurs to China, prompting speculation that it was part of a revenge plot.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
This caused all sorts of speculation, but he wouldn’t tell us any details.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
