Definitions for speculate
ˈspɛk yəˌleɪtspec·u·late

Princeton's WordNet(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

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(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. speculateverb

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

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

2. speculateverb

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

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

3. speculateverb

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

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

Webster Dictionary(1.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

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

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

2. Speculateverb

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

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

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

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

4. Speculateverb

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

   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(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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 speculāri—specula, a lookout—specĕre, to look.]

Matched Categories

1. • Reason

Anagrams for speculate »

1. peculates

How to pronounce speculate?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

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   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

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   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

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   Neerja

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   Zira

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   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

   South African

How to say speculate in sign language?

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. Carol Fuller:

   The findings are impressive and do highlight the importance of time outside on such a scale, that said, while the findings are encouraging, what we don't get from the study is a sense of why we see the results that we do ? While the authors speculate as to the reasons, there is a crucial need to engage directly with young people to understand the results from the perspective of those who were taking part.

2. Mario Andrada:

   We haven't yet been able to confirm what kind of projectile hit the bus, we don't want to speculate.

3. Ken Farley:

   This was completely unexpected, and we are struggling to understand what it means, but I will speculate that this is not likely the original crater floor. From the diameter of Jezero Crater, we expect the original crater floor is significantly deeper than where we are right now.

4. Wilson Uwujaren:

   All that is under investigation, I can not speculate.

5. Lisa Murkowski:

   What I think we all need to do now is to wait and see exactly what comes back. I don't know what's going to be in it. I don't know that anybody knows what's going to be in it so I'm not going to speculate. I'm going to wait.

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