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
Leavitt’s statement confirms speculation that the federal government is weighing whether to hold Walz responsible for his alleged mishandling of the fraud investigations in his state.
—
David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Jan. 2026
Without any definitive answers just yet, there's been lots of speculation in the local press, including questions about whether the couple were murdered or died by suicide.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
As The Hollywood Reporter first reported last year, when Henson was initially put up for sale, there was much speculation that Steven and Sean Fobos, prominent members of the Church of Scientology, were closing in on a bid for the property.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
The crash of 1929 affected labor, but it was caused by wild speculation, loose credit, weak banking regulation and loss of confidence.
—Jeff Mayhugh, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculation
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David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Jan. 2026
Without any definitive answers just yet, there's been lots of speculation in the local press, including questions about whether the couple were murdered or died by suicide.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
As The Hollywood Reporter first reported last year, when Henson was initially put up for sale, there was much speculation that Steven and Sean Fobos, prominent members of the Church of Scientology, were closing in on a bid for the property.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
The crash of 1929 affected labor, but it was caused by wild speculation, loose credit, weak banking regulation and loss of confidence.
—Jeff Mayhugh, Washington Post, 5 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 8 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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