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

Chief executive David Hopkinson hardly threw a bucket of cold water on the speculation with an interview in March when he said Newcastle "were not looking to make a change at the moment".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Since Earle and Cooper took their fight to the internet streets this week, speculation has flooded social media.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Evergrande's rise was propelled by decades of rapid urbanisation and rising living standards, but in 2020, its access to credit dramatically narrowed when the government introduced curbs on excessive borrowing and speculation.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Investor confidence in China has suffered repeated setbacks since the “Big Tech Crackdown” around 2020, and the well-established crisis in the property sector caused by overinvestment and speculation.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

I wonder if it makes any difference how the wire’s placed, or if this is merely to add to the speculation of the audience.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• belief
• conjecture
• opinion
• thought