Dictionary

speculate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• audio Colorado
• /ˈspɛk.jʊˌleɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈspek.jəˌlæɪt/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /ˈspɛk.jəˌleɪt/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin speculātus, perfect active participle of speculor (“to watch, observe, examine, spy”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from specula (“a watchtower”), ultimately from speciō (“to look at”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To think, meditate or reflect on a subject; to consider, to deliberate or cogitate.
   • It is remarkable that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most perfect quietude to the external regulations of society. 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, chapter 13, in The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC:
2. (intransitive) To make an inference based on inconclusive evidence; to surmise or conjecture.
   • We can speculate that in many instances the sharks are not feeding on their victims, but only in a few cases can we guess what they are doing. 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 171:
   • It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next; […]. 2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:
3. (intransitive) To make a risky trade in the hope of making a profit; to venture or gamble.
   • Some preliminary legal arrangements were made, but the scheme proceeded no further, as the various local authorities concerned were unwilling to speculate public funds on what was, even at that date, a will o' the wisp. 1951 May, R. K. Kirkland, “The Cavan & Leitrim Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 345:
4. (intransitive) To anticipate which branch of code will be chosen and execute it in advance.

Forms

Deriveds

speculatist · unspeculating · misspeculate · unspeculated · overspeculate

Relateds

speculative · species · speculator · spectacular · speculation · spectacle

Translations (55)

it escogitare ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · sv spekulera ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · it investire (to make a risky trade) · it approfittarsi (to make a risky trade) · pl spekulować (to make a risky trade) · bg спекулирам (to make a risky trade) · ru размышля́ть ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · hu spekulál ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · de vermuten (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · hu mereng ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · es elucubrar (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · ru спекули́ровать (to make a risky trade) · ru де́лать предположе́ния ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · fi spekuloida (to make a risky trade) · hu spekulál (to make a risky trade) · da spekulere ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · fr spéculer (to make a risky trade) · pl gdybać (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · cmn 投機 /投机 (to make a risky trade) · bg размишлявам ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · nl speculeren (to make a risky trade) · cmn 推測 /推测 (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · it meditare ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · mi kohuki (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · de spekulieren ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · fr spéculer ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · da gætte (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · it elucubrare (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · it giocare (to make a risky trade) · it speculare (to make a risky trade) · cmn 猜測 /猜测 (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · fi pohtia ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · da spekulere (to make a risky trade) · fi pohdiskella ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · it cogitare ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · io spekular (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · fi arvailla (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · fi keinotella (to make a risky trade) · sv spekulera (to make a risky trade) · grc θεωρέω (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · es especular (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · mi kohuki ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · id berspekulasi (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · ru предполага́ть (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · nl vermoeden (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · mi whakaaroaro ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · it speculare (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · fi jossitella (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · cs spekulovat (to make a risky trade) · de Vermutungen anstellen ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · hu spekulál (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · cmn 沉思 ((obsolete in English) to meditate) · de spekulieren (to make a risky trade) · bg спекулирам (to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence) · cmn 投機倒把 /投机倒把 (to make a risky trade)