Speculate Definition

spĕkyə-lāt

speculated, speculates, speculating

verb

speculated, speculates, speculating

To think about the various aspects of a given subject; meditate; ponder; esp., to conjecture.

Webster's New World

To engage in a course of reasoning often based on inconclusive evidence; conjecture or theorize.

American Heritage

To engage in the buying or selling of a commodity with an element of risk on the chance of profit.

American Heritage

To buy or sell stocks, commodities, land, etc., usually in the face of higher than ordinary risk, hoping to take advantage of an expected rise or fall in price; also, to take part in any risky venture on the chance of making huge profits.

Webster's New World

To assume to be true without conclusive evidence.

Speculated that high cholesterol was a contributing factor to the patient's health problems.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Origin of Speculate

Latin speculārī speculāt- to observe from specula watchtower from specere to look at spek- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Latin speculātus, past participle of speculor (“look out"), from specula (“watchtower"), from specio (“look at")

From Wiktionary