speculation
Americannoun
-
the contemplation or consideration of some subject.
to engage in speculation on humanity's ultimate destiny.
-
a single instance or process of consideration.
-
a conclusion or opinion reached by such contemplation.
These speculations are impossible to verify.
- Synonyms:
- hypothesis, theory, view, supposition
-
conjectural consideration of a matter; conjecture or surmise.
a report based on speculation rather than facts.
-
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.
-
a speculative commercial venture or undertaking.
noun
-
the act or an instance of speculating
-
a supposition, theory, or opinion arrived at through speculating
-
investment involving high risk but also the possibility of high profits
Other Word Forms
- antispeculation noun
- nonspeculation noun
- overspeculation noun
- prespeculation noun
- semispeculation noun
Etymology
Origin of speculation
1325–75; Middle English speculacioun < Late Latin speculātiōn- (stem of speculātiō ) exploration, observation. See speculate, -ion
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.
There has been speculation for many years about who could take his place, including his son Mojtaba.
From BBC
Oil prices will continue to rise on speculation that the war will expand and that infrastructure will be hit, said BCA Research’s Gertken.
From MarketWatch
There has long been speculation about his health given his age, but there was nothing in his most recent appearance to fuel any new rumours.
From Barron's
There has been speculation that members may resume production increases starting in April, he said, after the group decided to leave output quotas unchanged for the first quarter of 2026.
From MarketWatch
Buffett acknowledged that an inert asset might thrive at times as an object of speculation or when it’s driven by fear about things like war or the value of the dollar.
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.
