DictionaryAI

speculation

noun
Sayspek-yuh-LAY-shuhnUK/ˌspɛk.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/AUS/ˌspek.jəˈlæɪ.ʃən/

Pluralspeculations

9 meanings of speculation

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable or uncountable
    A guess or idea about something when you do not have all the facts.

    Like guessing what is inside a wrapped gift before you open it.

    Without any proof, his claim was just speculation.

    The news was full of speculation about who would win the election.

    Similarconjecture, guesswork, supposition, surmise, theory

    Oppositefact, certainty, proof, knowledge

    Note
  2. 2
    nouncountable or uncountable
    The act of thinking deeply or carefully about a subject.

    Like turning an idea over and over in your mind.

    Hours of quiet speculation helped her finally understand the problem.

    He enjoyed late-night speculation about the meaning of life.

    Similarcontemplation, reflection, meditation, rumination, musing

    Note
  3. 3
    nouncountable or uncountable
    Putting money into something risky, hoping to make a big profit.

    Like betting on a horse because you think it might win big.

    Buying that startup's shares was pure speculation.

    He lost his savings through reckless speculation.

    Similargamble, venture, risk, punt

    Note
  4. 4
    noununcountable
    Buying or selling things while hoping their price will change in your favor.

    Like buying toys cheaply before the holidays so you can sell them for more later.

    Land speculation pushed home prices far beyond what families could pay.

    His fortune came from speculation in grain.

    Similartrading, gambling, dealing

    Note
  5. 5
    noununcountable
    Working things out by reasoning from ideas, not from real-world tests.

    Like solving a puzzle in your head using only the rules, without ever trying it out.

    Ancient thinkers relied on speculation rather than experiments.

    Pure speculation cannot prove how the universe began.

    Similartheorizing, reasoning, theory

    Oppositeobservation, experiment, empiricism

    Note
  6. 6
    noununcountable
    Running a piece of computer code early, before the program knows it is needed.

    Like starting to cook the meal you think a guest will order, so it is ready sooner.

    Modern chips use speculation to run programs faster.

    Speculation lets the processor work ahead while it waits.

    Note
  7. 7
    noununcountable
    An old card game where players buy and sell cards, hoping to hold the highest trump.

    Like a card game that doubles as a small auction for the best cards.

    On winter evenings the family played speculation by the fire.

    She won the whole pool at speculation that night.

Less common meanings

  1. 8
    nounobsoletecountable or uncountable
    The act of looking closely at something or watching it carefully.
    [T]he expression of exultation and content on their animated faces, is one of my most delicious speculations.
    1792, Charlotte Smith, DesmondHere, speculations means things to look at and watch closely.
    Note
  2. 9
    nounobsoleteuncountable
    The power or ability to see.

    Like the power that lets your eyes take in the world.

    Old age had dimmed the speculation in his eyes.

    Thou hast no speculation in those eyes.
    c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”Here, speculation means the power to see.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

It came through Middle English and Old French from Latin, from the verb 'speculor'. It is also seen as 'speculate' plus '-ion'.