speculate

[ spek-yuh-leyt ]

verb (used without object)

, spec·u·lat·ed, spec·u·lat·ing.

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.

speculate

/ 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

Other Words From

• over·specu·late verb (used without object) overspeculated overspeculating
• pre·specu·late verb (used without object) prespeculated prespeculating
• un·specu·lating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of speculate¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of speculate¹

C16: from Latin speculārī to spy out, from specula a watchtower, from specere to look at

Example Sentences

“Lastly, we are aware of posts circulating on social media, implying that this was a terrorist incident. Our inquiries indicate this is not the case and we ask the public not to speculate.”

From BBC

She added that Trump “hasn’t entered the White House yet” and it would be wrong to speculate on future US foreign policy.

From BBC

Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Los Angeles mayor who is running for governor in 2026 and is expected to position himself as a moderate among a crowded field of Democrats, was reluctant to speculate about what ballot measure results mean before all of them are called.

From Los Angeles Times

Though McCoy is hesitant to speculate on the cause for other news organizations’ hesitation, his team was uniquely positioned to pull the trigger quickly, without the corporate or political pressures that might weigh on legacy networks.

From Los Angeles Times

Gerda wouldn’t speculate on whether his reporting was the catalyst for the federal investigation into Do.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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