What does Speculate mean?

Definitions for Speculate
ˈspɛk yəˌleɪtspec·u·late

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Speculate.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. speculate, theorize, theorise, conjecture, hypothesize, hypothesise, hypothecate, supposeverb

    to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds

    "Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps"

  2. speculateverb

    talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion

    "We were speculating whether the President had to resign after the scandal"

  3. chew over, think over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, contemplate, muse, reflect, mull, mull over, ruminate, speculateverb

    reflect deeply on a subject

    "I mulled over the events of the afternoon"; "philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years"; "The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate"

  4. speculate, jobverb

    invest at a risk

    "I bought this house not because I want to live in it but to sell it later at a good price, so I am speculating"

Wiktionary

  1. speculateverb

    to think, meditate or reflect on a subject; to deliberate or cogitate

  2. speculateverb

    to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence; to surmise or conjecture

  3. speculateverb

    to make a risky trade in the hope of making a profit; to venture or gamble

  4. Etymology: From speculatus, past participle of speculor, from specula, from specio

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. To Speculateverb

    To consider attentively; to look through with the mind.

    Man was not meant to gape, or look upward with the eye, but to have his thoughts sublime; and not only behold, but speculate their nature with the eye of the understanding. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

  2. To Speculateverb

    To meditate; to contemplate; to take a view of any thing with the mind.

    Etymology: speculer, Fr. speculor, Lat.

    Consider the quantity, and not speculate upon an intrinsecal relation. Kenelm Digby, on Bodies.

    As our news-writers record many facts which afford great matter of speculation, their readers speculate accordingly, and by their variety of conjectures become consummate statesmen. Addison.

ChatGPT

  1. speculate

    Speculate generally refers to the act of forming opinions or conclusions based on conjecture or incomplete information. It can also mean to invest in stocks, real estate, or other ventures in the hope of gain but with the risk of loss.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Speculateverb

    to consider by turning a subject in the mind, and viewing it in its different aspects and relations; to meditate; to contemplate; to theorize; as, to speculate on questions in religion; to speculate on political events

  2. Speculateverb

    to view subjects from certain premises given or assumed, and infer conclusions respecting them a priori

  3. Speculateverb

    to purchase with the expectation of a contingent advance in value, and a consequent sale at a profit; -- often, in a somewhat depreciative sense, of unsound or hazardous transactions; as, to speculate in coffee, in sugar, or in bank stock

  4. Speculateverb

    to consider attentively; as, to speculate the nature of a thing

  5. Etymology: [L. speculatus, p. p. of speculari to spy out, observe, fr. specula a lookout, fr. specere to look. See Spy.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Speculate

    spek′ū-lāt, v.i. to look at or into with the mind: to consider: to theorise: to traffic for great profit.—ns. Speculā′tion, act of speculating: mental view: contemplation: theory: the buying goods, &c., to sell them at an advance, any more or less risky investment of money for the sake of unusually large profits; Spec′ulātist, a speculative philosopher.—adj. Spec′ūlātive, given to speculation or theory: ideal: pertaining to speculation in business, &c.—adv. Spec′ulātively.—ns. Spec′ulātiveness, the state of being speculative; Spec′ulātor, one who engages in mental speculations, or who practises speculation in trade or business of any kind.—adj. Spec′ūlātory, exercising speculation: adapted for spying or viewing.—n. Spec′ulātrix, a female speculator. [L. speculatus, pa.p. of speculārispecula, a lookout—specĕre, to look.]

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Speculate in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Speculate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of Speculate in a Sentence

  1. Paul Caruso:

    We can't speculate on a cause yet, there are many variables involved.

  2. Per Karsten:

    You can only speculate as to whether The CT was one of Winstrup's next of kin, or whether someone else took the opportunity while preparing the coffin. But we hope to be able to clarify any kinship through a DNA test.

  3. Douglas Korneski:

    We're not at a position to speculate on that now.

  4. Sherry Chou:

    Right now, we actually don't know enough to say definitely how Covid-19 affects the brain and nervous system, until we can answer some of the most fundamental questions, it would be too early to speculate on treatments.

  5. The IIHS:

    More people may be walking because of the education efforts in recent years surrounding health and fitness. We can only speculate on this question. understanding where, when, and how these additional pedestrian crashes are happening can point the way to solutions.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Speculate#10000#26872#100000

Translations for Speculate

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • spekulovatCzech
  • spekulere, gætteDanish
  • spekulieren, vermutenGerman
  • especularSpanish
  • pohdiskella, keinotella, jossitella, pohtia, arvailla, spekuloidaFinnish
  • spéculerFrench
  • לְסַפְסֵרHebrew
  • спекулировать, предполагать, размышлять, делать предположенияRussian
  • spekuleraSwedish

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"Speculate." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Speculate>.

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