speculation

American  

[spek-yuh-ley-shuhn] / ˌspɛk yəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the contemplation or consideration of some subject.

   to engage in speculation on humanity's ultimate destiny.

2. a single instance or process of consideration.

3. a conclusion or opinion reached by such contemplation.

   These speculations are impossible to verify.

   Synonyms:

   hypothesis, theory, view, supposition

4. conjectural consideration of a matter; conjecture or surmise.

   a report based on speculation rather than facts.

5. 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.

6. a speculative commercial venture or undertaking.

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speculation British  

/ ˌspɛkjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of speculating

2. a supposition, theory, or opinion arrived at through speculating

3. investment involving high risk but also the possibility of high profits

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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

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.

Example Sentences

Yet nothing could stop the speculation and growing unease about the future of LIV Golf.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

They were voiced amid mounting speculation that the fund is to withdraw its backing for LIV Golf.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Early “Twin Peaks” message boards overflowed with theories from fans about the show’s cast of weirdos and its fathoms-deep lore—a form of viewer speculation that would later spread even more widely on social-media platforms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Not everyone at CPAC, though, was interested in speculation about 2028.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026

We don’t know much about his life or career, and there’s speculation, but no evidence, that he learned directly from Corax.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• belief
• conjecture
• opinion
• thought