speculate

verb

spec·​u·​late ˈspe-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce speculate (audio)
speculated; speculating

intransitive verb

1
a
: 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 make a relatively risky investment in something (such as stocks or real estate) in the hope of making a large short-term profit from market fluctuations

transitive verb

1
: to take to be true on the basis of insufficient evidence : theorize
2
: to be curious or doubtful about : wonder
speculates whether it will rain all vacation

Did you know?

It might be said that what separates our species from others is our tendency “to meditate on or ponder a subject.” That's the original 16th century meaning of speculate. It's a use not too distant from today's most common sense, which also involves the mind and thinking: when someone speculates about something, they think and make guesses about it, often forming ideas or theories when there are many things not known about the thing. But the origins of speculate lie not in thinking but in looking—the word comes from Latin specere, meaning “to look,” or “to look at.” We don't have to look far to find other specere descendants, and we'll point them out here with some italics: a cursory inspection reveals spectacle, spectrum, specimen, and perspective. Less conspicuous are despise, prospect, and species.

Choose the Right Synonym for speculate

think, cogitate, reflect, reason, speculate, deliberate mean to use one's powers of conception, judgment, or inference.

think is general and may apply to any mental activity, but used alone often suggests attainment of clear ideas or conclusions.

teaches students how to think

cogitate implies deep or intent thinking.

cogitated on the mysteries of nature

reflect suggests unhurried consideration of something recalled to the mind.

reflecting on fifty years of married life

reason stresses consecutive logical thinking.

able to reason brilliantly in debate

speculate implies reasoning about things theoretical or problematic.

speculated on the fate of the lost explorers

deliberate suggests slow or careful reasoning before forming an opinion or reaching a conclusion or decision.

the jury deliberated for five hours

Examples of speculate in a Sentence

She could only speculate about her friend's motives. He speculated as to whether she would come. We don't know what happened—we can only speculate. speculating on the stock market
Recent Examples on the Web Fans speculate that the Cyrus performance is a preview of her musical contribution to the project. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Given the damage, some speculate the drone might have been modified to cause a bigger impact. 4. Aj Willingham, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Late last season, Wilson was benched amid a tough year with the team that many speculated would be his last. Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Unfortunately, the statement has only fueled people to continue to speculate on Kate’s wellbeing. Sara Vallone, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024 Astronomers speculate there are about two trillion galaxies in the universe. Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 2 Mar. 2024 Now looks like the right time to speculate with options, too, which are affordably priced. Schaeffer's Investment Research, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 That leaves a small list of potential partners, including Chopard or Patek Philippe (which Miss Tweed speculates are shareholders in both Atokalpa and Elwin). Carol Besler, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024 The exchange was later leaked to Page Six, which speculated Bezos might be the father of Swisher’s child. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin speculatus, past participle of speculari to spy out, examine, from specula lookout post, from specere to look, look at — more at spy

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of speculate was in 1599

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near speculate

Cite this Entry

“Speculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speculate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

speculate

verb
spec·​u·​late ˈspek-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce speculate (audio)
speculated; speculating
1
: to think or wonder about a subject
speculating about the future
2
: to engage in a business deal in which much profit may be made although at a big risk
speculator noun

Legal Definition

speculate

verb
spec·​u·​late ˈspe-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce speculate (audio)
speculated; speculating

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

: to take to be true on the basis of insufficient evidence
speculator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on speculate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!