speculator
Americannoun
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a person who is engaged in commercial or financial speculation.
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a person who makes advance purchases of tickets, as to games or theatrical performances, that are likely to be in demand, for resale later at a higher price.
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a person who is devoted to mental speculation.
noun
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a person who speculates
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rugby an undirected kick of the ball
Etymology
Origin of speculator
1545–55; < Latin speculātor explorer, equivalent to speculā ( rī ) to watch over, explore, reconnoiter ( speculate ) + -tor -tor
Explanation
A speculator is someone who takes a chance on losing a lot of money when there's a prospect of making even more money. A speculator might, for example, invest in a risky stock in the hopes she can sell it eventually at a profit. In a way, everyone who invests in the financial market is a bit of a speculator — the possibility of losing money is always there, as is a chance (and hope) of making money. Gamblers are speculators too, hoping to win big but vulnerable to losing everything on a poker game. Less commonly, a speculator is simply someone who speculates, or guesses without enough information. The financial meaning dates from the 18th century.
Vocabulary lists containing speculator
The Great Depression and The New Deal
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"Grand Canyon Speech"
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The Sound and the Fury
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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.
Duer was also an inveterate speculator and get-rich-quick schemer: “king of the alley,” as Thomas Jefferson derisively referred External link to Wall Street.
From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026
Further near-term price gains are also likely, with speculator long positions as a share of total open interest on CME are not as extreme as in previous speculative peaks, they say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Bolling nodded his approval as he claimed that the onetime crypto hater Trump was the reason he’s now a true believer, not just a speculator.
From Slate • Sep. 22, 2025
Next came Highway 80 and speculator Bert Vaughn, who built a four-story hotel, bathhouse and a desert view tower to lure San Diego-Arizona drivers off the road.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2024
Duer was the epitome of the enterprising speculator whom he trusted and who ultimately proved untrustworthy.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
