speculate
verb
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Definition of speculate
1a : to meditate on or ponder a subject : reflect
b : to review something idly or casually and often inconclusively
2 : to assume a business risk in hope of gain especially : to buy or sell in expectation of profiting from market fluctuations
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Other words from speculate
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noun
Synonyms for speculate
Synonyms
assume, conjecture, daresay, guess, imagine, presume, suppose, surmise, suspect
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Examples of speculate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers speculate that death rates might flatten out for a number of reasons: perhaps, those who are frail genetically tend to die first, leaving behind a pool of the robustly alive. — Laura Yan, Popular Mechanics, "How Long Can Humans Really Live?," 1 July 2018 Chinese experts speculate that Mr. Xi promised hefty financial help or security guarantees. — Jane Perlez, New York Times, "Before Kim Meets Trump, China Gets Jittery About North Korea’s Intentions," 10 June 2018 Some experts speculate that in vitro fertilization and surrogate gestation could lead to a live birth within ten years. — Daniel Fernandez, Smithsonian, "Can the Northern White Rhino Be Brought Back From the Brink of Extinction?," 22 May 2018 Friends and former Nxivm followers who know Mack speculate her loyalty to Raniere could end up thwarting the government’s case against him. — Chris Harris, PEOPLE.com, "'Cruel and Punitive': Allison Mack Allegedly Told Nxivm Women 'They Were Worth Nothing,' Report Says," 21 May 2018 Some speculated that Boyle would replace Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane. — Nicholas Rondinone, courant.com, "Five Vie For Deputy Chief State's Attorney Job," 12 July 2018 Kostovetsky and Benedetti speculate that entrepreneurs may not yet have figured out how to price pre-ICO sales. — Lucaswpcom, Fortune, "Live Fast, Die Young: Many Startups Powered by Initial Coin Offerings Don't Last, But There's Still Money to Be Made," 10 July 2018 Purcell speculated that the doe ate from one such trap, dislodged the jar from the trunk and, in the process, locked the jar around her lower jaw, trapping her tongue. — Jordan Cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "Doe in distress: Auburn deer can't eat because of peanut butter jar, resident says," 10 July 2018 One rival executive speculated that Harper will get a high average annual value—near or at $40 million—but over a shorter period than many had expected, in part to protect against a long-term bet on the violence of his swing. — Tom Verducci, SI.com, "Nine Innings: How Bryce Harper Is Trying to Revive His Season, What We Learned in the First Half and More," 9 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'speculate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for speculate
speculator
nounFinancial Definition of speculator
What It Is
A speculator is a person or an entity that trades securities essentially as bets that the price will go up or down, and as such, typically has an above-average risk tolerance.
How It Works
Although one can argue that all investment is speculation, an acknowledged speculator will buy or sell a security solely to reap a typically short-term profit from the price movement of that security. This motivation differs significantly from those of more traditional investors or hedgers.
For example, consider the purchase of corn futures. A hedger may purchase these securities in order to offset any negative movements in the price of corn and thus stabilize his or her portfolio (these people might be corn growers or cereal companies, for instance). A speculator, however, may buy the very same security simply because he or she has reason to believe the position will increase in value. He or she simply bets on which way the market is going to go.
Why It Matters
Speculation can sometimes drive securities prices away from their intrinsic value, either becoming overpriced during a buying frenzy or becoming underpriced during a huge sell-off. Although speculators sometimes get a bad rap in the press for this reason, they are a crucial lubricant to the markets, particularly the commodities markets. Although they don't want to physically possess any of the commodities they're trading (that is, they don't really want a truckload of rice delivered to their door), their trading activity brings liquidity to the market, which in turn provides stability and efficiency to those markets.
It is important to note, however, that speculators are generally bigger risk takers than other investors. They are more likely than other investors to use leverage, and as such can suffer huge losses alongside huge gains.
Source: Investing Answers
speculate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of speculate
: to think about something and make guesses about it : to form ideas or theories about something usually when there are many things not known about it
: to invest money in ways that could produce a large profit but that also involve a lot of risk
See the full definition for speculate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
speculate
verb
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Kids Definition of speculate
1 : to think or wonder about something
2 : to come up with ideas or theories about something
3 : to engage in a risky but possibly very profitable business deal
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speculate
verb
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Legal Definition of speculate
1
: to theorize on the basis of insufficient evidence
Note:
A jury is not permitted to speculate on a matter about which insufficient evidence has been presented in reaching its verdict.
2 : to assume a business risk in hope of gain especially : to buy or sell in expectation of profiting from market fluctuations
: to take to be true on the basis of insufficient evidence
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