speculation
pronunciation
How to pronounce speculation in British English:
UK [ˌspekjuˈleɪʃn]
How to pronounce speculation in American English:
US [ˌspekjuˈleɪʃn]
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- Noun:
- a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
- a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)
- an investment that is very risky but could yield great profits
- continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature
Word Origin
- speculation (n.)
- late 14c., "intelligent contemplation, consideration; act of looking," from Old French speculacion "close observation, rapt attention," and directly from Late Latin speculationem (nominative speculatio) "contemplation, observation," noun of action from Latin speculatus, past participle of speculari "observe," from specere "to look at, view" (see scope (n.1)). Meaning "pursuit of the truth by means of thinking" is from mid-15c. Disparaging sense of "mere conjecture" is recorded from 1570s. Meaning "buying and selling in search of profit from rise and fall of market value" is recorded from 1774; short form spec is attested from 1794.
Example
- 1. Profitable speculation requires buying low and selling high .
- 2. People who know mr reinemund well dismiss such speculation .
- 3. But malicious speculation on the board has also occurred frequently .
- 4. But many investments appear to be pure speculation that leaves land fallow , the report found .
- 5. There is huge speculation about what north korea seeks to gain by raising the tension levels .