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View synonyms for speculate

speculate

[ spek-yuh-leyt ]

verb (used without object)

speculated, speculating.
  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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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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
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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”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of speculate1

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

On Hassan's street, neighbours speculate about where the vanished war criminal has gone.

From BBC

These protoplanetary disks slowly congealed into planets — so slowly, in fact, that astronomers speculated all of the protoplanetary disks that once existed have since blown away.

From Salon

But behind closed doors, many government staffers continued to speculate about the allegations against Williams.

Selzer speculated in last week’s interview that the finding that Trump was trailing Harris might have actually spurred more of his voters to the polls in Iowa.

It is being speculated that ABC didn’t want to risk testing the Supreme Court’s Sullivan v.

From Salon

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