speculation

noun

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spec·u·la·tion | \ ˌspe-kyə-ˈlā-shən

Definition of speculation

: 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 & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about speculation

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Synonyms & Antonyms for speculation

Synonyms

adventure,
chance,
crapshoot,
enterprise,
flier
(also flyer),
flutter
[chiefly British],
gamble,
throw,
venture

Antonyms

sure thing

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 The new Pencil might deliver additional improvements to leverage mini-LED screen tech, but that’s just speculation. — Jacob Siegal, BGR, "Leak says Apple will launch AirPods 3 and Apple Pencil 3 soon," 16 Apr. 2021 There’s some speculation the Saints may be interested in Molden in the 2021 draft. — oregonlive, "NFL draft 2021: Former Oregon prep star Elijah Molden likely a day two pick," 12 Apr. 2021 Recently, speculation floated on the internet that Chris Evans might return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe someday to take up Captain America's shield once more. — Christian Holub, EW.com, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," 19 Mar. 2021 The long and knotty history of Los Angeles isn’t just water speculation, oil scams, and Hollywood. — Adam Rogers, Wired, "Netflix’s City of Ghosts Maps a Better Way to See LA—and Everywhere Else," 18 Mar. 2021 There’s speculation the Bengals are preparing to throw cash at a top free agent offensive lineman when free agency kicks off next week. — Tyler Dragon, The Enquirer, "Bengals coach Zac Taylor: Joe Burrow's rehab is 'on pace' as free agency nears," 11 Mar. 2021 Deshaun Watson trade speculation returns for Arizona Cardinals after J.J. Watt signing Have opinion about current state of the Suns? — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, "Surging Phoenix Suns roll into All-Star break with win over Golden State," 5 Mar. 2021 In the 11 years since Bitcoin launched, speculation, primarily on the price of cryptocurrencies, has been the primary use case for cryptocurrencies, a number of which are now being viewed as part of a portfolio diversification strategy. — Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes, "Burned Banksy NFT Sets Art And Crypto Worlds Alight," 3 Mar. 2021 The California native stoked speculation of a potential gubernatorial run during his remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday morning. — Carly Roman, Washington Examiner, "Richard Grenell disputes report on dinner with Trump to discuss run for California governor," 27 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'speculation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

20 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Speculation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speculation. Accessed 20 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for speculation

speculation

noun

English Language Learners Definition of speculation

: ideas or guesses about something that is not known

: activity in which someone buys and sells things (such as stocks or pieces of property) in the hope of making a large profit but with the risk of a large loss

See the full definition for speculation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

speculation

noun

spec·u·la·tion | \ ˌspe-kyə-ˈlā-shən