speculation

noun

spec·​u·​la·​tion ˌspe-kyə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce speculation (audio)
Synonyms of speculationnext
: an act or instance of speculating: such as
a
: assumption of unusual business risk in hopes of obtaining commensurate gain
b
: a transaction involving such speculation

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of speculation in a Sentence

He dismissed their theories as mere speculation. The book is just a lot of idle speculation about the future. Her speculations leave many questions unanswered. He lost everything in foolish land speculation.
Recent Examples on the Web Those previous two days had been defined by dizzying speculation surrounding the standout defensive tackle’s future at the school. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024 Tesla message boards have been rife with speculation about what Musk’s August announcement would be. —David Ingram, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024 The cases prompted speculation and conspiracy theories for more than a decade. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 9 Apr. 2024 The rarity and mystique surrounding this event has led to a plethora of questions and speculations. —The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024 For now, this is all sheer speculation and talk, with no real action on the horizon. —Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024 The announcement put an end to months of gossip, speculation, and even conspiracies about her health, spurred in part by an obvious Photoshopping of a Mother’s day photo. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024 Jackson County would have likely put that speculation to rest with approval of the tax; now, the attention on Kansas is expected to grow. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024 While of course, this is all speculation — Beyoncé and her team keep their cards close — some are holding out hope that an additional bonus track might end up on the Target edition of the album. —Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 31 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speculation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of speculation was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing speculation

Dictionary Entries Near speculation

speculate

speculation

speculatist

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Speculation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speculation. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

speculation

noun
spec·​u·​la·​tion ˌspek-yə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce speculation (audio)
1
: thoughts or guesses about something
much speculation about who the new teacher would be
2
: the taking of a big risk in business in hopes of making a big profit

Legal Definition

speculation

noun
spec·​u·​la·​tion ˌspe-kyə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce speculation (audio)
: an act or instance of speculating: as
a
: assumption of unusual business risk in hopes of obtaining commensurate gain
b
: a transaction involving such speculation

More from Merriam-Webster on speculation

Nglish: Translation of speculation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of speculation for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about speculation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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