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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
Synonyms
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
There’s speculation that the forthcoming Metroid Prime 4 might straddle both consoles the way Breath of the Wild launched on both the Wii U and the Switch back in 2017.
—Ash Parrish, The Verge, 16 Jan. 2025
In the summer, Wolff met with Verstappen’s father, Jos, and the driver’s manager Raymond Vermeulen, fuelling speculation the Silver Arrows were working on a deal.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
The console's unveiling, made in a YouTube video, comes after growing speculation this week from die-hard fans that a release was coming and has been anticipated by an industry that has hit by mass layoffs and an ongoing strike from the video game performer community.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025
Of course, this is all speculation until Nintendo confirms more details about the new Switch.
—Will Greenwald, PCMAG, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for speculation
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Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of speculation was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing speculation
Dictionary Entries Near speculation
Cite this Entry
“Speculation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speculation. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on speculation
Nglish: Translation of speculation for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of speculation for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about speculation
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