speculator

noun

spec·u·la·tor ˈspe-kyə-ˌlā-tər

plural speculators

Synonyms of speculator next

: someone who speculates: such as

: a person who thinks or guesses especially in an idle or casual way about something that is unknown or uncertain

I sat Friday night in the dining room in front of my laptop, the TV in the next room flitting among experts and speculators about what happened in Paris …—

Scott Martelle

"… All that we ought to ask, therefore, is, that the witnesses of our conduct, and the speculators on our motives, should be capable of taking the highest view which the circumstances of the case may admit. …"—

Nathaniel Hawthorne

: a person who makes a relatively risky investment in something (such as stocks or real estate) in the hope of making a large short-term profit from market fluctuations

futures/currency speculators

By the late 1870s Edward Pray was living in New York City, still interested in mining but instead now as a speculator in mining stocks.—

Willa Kane

Over the years, many houses have been bought by speculators or real estate companies and rented out.—

Margaret Gillerman

Examples of speculator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

California governor bans 'predatory' land offers following LA wildfires Residents who lost their homes in the Los Angeles-area wildfires a week ago are already being offered buyouts for their prime real estate - and Gov. Gavin Newsom is stepping in to block land speculators. —

Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025 In Koh’s view, seasoned collectors in Asia have started buying again, though more selectively, and the Covid-era speculators have left the scene. —

Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 15 Jan. 2025 The key is to remain an investor, not a speculator. —

James Berman, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025 While short-term speculators are departing, seasoned collectors and industry experts suggest this reset is creating opportunities. —

Mark Littler, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for speculator

Word History

Etymology

speculate + -or entry 1; in earlier sense "observer, lookout," borrowed from Latin speculātor "scout, spy, sentinel," from speculārī "to keep a close watch on, spy out, watch for" + -tor, agent suffix — more at speculate

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of speculator was in 1555

See more words from the same year