speculation
noun
spec·u·la·tion
ˌspe-kyə-ˈlā-shən 
: 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
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
After months of speculation, Saks Global, owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, has filed for bankruptcy.
—
Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
The documentary aims to counter decades of internet speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding O’Rourke’s death by presenting an authorized account from those who knew her.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Jan. 2026
This means some speculation will be required to determine the money market account's interest earnings.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
At the time of the acquisition, the speculation was that BioMed might want to redevelop a portion of the hotel given the high demand then for life science lab space.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculation
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Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
The documentary aims to counter decades of internet speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding O’Rourke’s death by presenting an authorized account from those who knew her.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Jan. 2026
This means some speculation will be required to determine the money market account's interest earnings.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
At the time of the acquisition, the speculation was that BioMed might want to redevelop a portion of the hotel given the high demand then for life science lab space.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculation
Cite this Entry
“Speculation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speculation. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
speculation
noun
spec·u·la·tion
ˌspek-yə-ˈlā-shən
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
: 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
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