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 ( see 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.
Speculator William Duer, a friend of Alexander Hamilton, had borrowed too much money and was about to be thrown into debtors’ prison.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
These can include growth stocks selected when the Prudent Speculator team believes they are undervalued by the market.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025
Nine blows of the original Granite Mountain whistle sounded Thursday night to break a moment of silence for the lives lost in the 1917 fire at the Granite Mountain and Speculator mines.
From Washington Times • Jun. 9, 2017
You can click here if you would like to receive a free sample copy of our #1 ranked* newsletter The Prudent Speculator, which includes more stock picks.
From Forbes • Jun. 5, 2014
Indeed, a Speculator on the exchange, and a Gambler at his table, follow one vocation, only with different instruments.
From Twelve Causes of Dishonesty by Beecher, Henry Ward
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.
