speculation
noun
spec·u·la·tion
ˌspe-kyə-ˈlā-shən 
: an act or instance of speculating: such as
a
: assumption of unusual business risk in hopes of obtaining commensurate gain
b
: a transaction involving such speculation
Examples of speculation in a Sentence
He dismissed their theories as mere speculation.
The book is just a lot of idle speculation about the future.
Her speculations leave many questions unanswered.
He lost everything in foolish land speculation.
Recent Examples on the Web
In light of the speculation, many people have been calling for NBC to announce Kotb as Clarkson’s future replacement — including a producer for the show, who spoke with The Daily Mail a few days ago.
—
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
But the appeals court, Alito said, deferred to school officials’ speculation about the effects of the T-shirt, even though there were no actual disruptions, and accepted the administrator’s conclusion that the shirt’s messaged demeaned others’ personal identity.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 28 May 2025
His college admissions have been the subject of speculation since the Trump administration's Tuesday, May 27, decision to slash all remaining federal funding to the Ivy League institution.
—Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 28 May 2025
The carrier arrived in the South China Sea in early May and operated there for two weeks before sailing into the Strait of Malacca—a waterway linking the South China Sea with the Indian Ocean—raising speculation about a possible deployment to the Middle East.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculation
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Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
But the appeals court, Alito said, deferred to school officials’ speculation about the effects of the T-shirt, even though there were no actual disruptions, and accepted the administrator’s conclusion that the shirt’s messaged demeaned others’ personal identity.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 28 May 2025
His college admissions have been the subject of speculation since the Trump administration's Tuesday, May 27, decision to slash all remaining federal funding to the Ivy League institution.
—Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 28 May 2025
The carrier arrived in the South China Sea in early May and operated there for two weeks before sailing into the Strait of Malacca—a waterway linking the South China Sea with the Indian Ocean—raising speculation about a possible deployment to the Middle East.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculation
Cite this Entry
“Speculation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speculation. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
speculation
noun
spec·u·la·tion
ˌspek-yə-ˈlā-shən
1
: thoughts or guesses about something
much speculation about who the new teacher would be
2
: the taking of a big risk in business in hopes of making a big profit
Legal Definition
speculation
noun
spec·u·la·tion
ˌspe-kyə-ˈlā-shən
: an act or instance of speculating: as
a
: assumption of unusual business risk in hopes of obtaining commensurate gain
b
: a transaction involving such speculation
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