speculate

American  

[spek-yuh-leyt] / ˈspɛk yəˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

speculated, speculating

1. to engage in thought or reflection; meditate (often followed by on, upon, or a clause).

   Synonyms:

   cogitate, reflect, think

2. to indulge in conjectural thought.

   Synonyms:

   theorize, suppose, surmise, guess, conjecture

3. to engage in any business transaction involving considerable risk or the chance of large gains, especially to buy and sell commodities, stocks, etc., in the expectation of a quick or very large profit.

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speculate British  

/ ˈspɛkjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. (when tr, takes a clause as object) to conjecture without knowing the complete facts

2. (intr) to buy or sell securities, property, etc, in the hope of deriving capital gains

3. (intr) to risk loss for the possibility of considerable gain

4. (intr) rugby to make an emergency forward kick of the ball without taking any particular aim

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Other Word Forms

• overspeculate
  verb (used without object)
• prespeculate
  verb (used without object)
• unspeculating
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of speculate

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin speculātus “watched over,” past participle of speculārī “to watch over, explore, reconnoiter,” verb derivative of specula “watchtower,” noun derivative of specere “to look, regard, see”

Explanation

When you speculate, you use what you know to make a prediction about an outcome, like when you speculate that the injury of two key players will prevent your favorite team from going far in the playoffs this year. The verb speculate has a specialized meaning in the world of finance — it means to take a financial risk in the hopes of monetary gain. For example, a business owner may speculate that a brand-new kind of frozen yogurt will be really popular, so she buys a huge order of it for her ice cream store. Someone who speculates goes looking for the next big thing, as seen in the word's Latin origin, speculatus, meaning "to spy out, examine."

Example Sentences

Some speculate that Andes virus outbreaks are increasing amid deforestation, which pushes rodents out of their natural habitats and closer to humans.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

The pooled capital of small savers was loaned out to speculate on real estate.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Blockchain-powered platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi offer users the chance to speculate on anything from the weather to baseball to US foreign policy.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

But she was the only medical professional willing to speculate with me.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

“I am willing to speculate that he isn’t aware you are on assistance,” he said seriously.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• contemplate
• figure out
• guess
• hypothesize
• read
• reflect
• ruminate
• surmise
• weigh
• wonder