speculate

speculate
speculate spec‧u‧late [ˈspekjleɪt] verb
1. [intransitive] FINANCE to buy goods, shares, property etc in the hope that their value will increase so that you can sell them at a higher price and make a profit, often quickly:
speculate in

• Investors may speculate in distressed companies that they think may restructure themselves or be taken over.

speculate on

• Many ordinary people have now started to speculate on the stock market.

• It is no longer as profitable to speculate on oil futures.

2. [intransitive, transitive] to think or talk about the possible causes or effects of something without knowing all the facts or details:
speculate on/​about

• Many people speculate on the effect of long-term unemployment on the crime rate.

• He declined to speculate about the likely cost of the project.

speculate that

• Analysts now speculate that the company may go into receivership.

* * *

speculate UK US /ˈspekjəleɪt/ verb [I]
► to guess possible answers to a question when you do not have enough information to be certain: speculate on/about sth »

Journalists are speculating about whether interest rates will be cut.

 »

A spokesperson declined to speculate on the date of the merger.

 speculate that »

Currency traders speculated that Japan's central bank might soon buy large amounts of dollars in the hope of preventing the yen from strengthening further

► FINANCE to buy something hoping that its value will increase and then sell at this higher price in order to make a profit: speculate on/in sth »

He made his money speculating on the London gold and silver markets.

 »

The company speculates in property.


Financial and business terms. 2012.

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Synonyms:
, , , , , , , , , / (hazardously)


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Speculate — Spec u*late, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Speculated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Speculating}.] [L. speculatus, p. p. of speculari to spy out, observe, fr. specula a lookout, fr. specere to look. See {Spy}.] 1. To consider by turning a subject in the mind, and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • speculate — spec·u·late / spe kyə ˌlāt/ vb lat·ed, lat·ing vi 1: to theorize on the basis of insufficient evidence ◇ A jury is not permitted to speculate on a matter about which insufficient evidence has been presented in reaching its verdict. 2: to assume a …   Law dictionary

  • Speculate — Spec u*late, v. t. To consider attentively; as, to speculate the nature of a thing. [R.] Sir W. Hamilton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • speculate — [v1] think about deeply and theorize beat one’s brains*, brainstorm*, build castles in air*, call it, call the turn, cerebrate, chew over*, cogitate, conjecture, consider, contemplate, deliberate, dope*, dope out*, excogitate, figure, figure out* …   New thesaurus

  • speculate — (v.) 1590s, back formation from SPECULATION (Cf. speculation). Related: Speculated; speculating …   Etymology dictionary

  • speculate — reason, reflect, *think, cogitate, deliberate Analogous words: *ponder, meditate, muse, ruminate: *consider, weigh, study, contemplate, excogitate …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • speculate — ► VERB 1) form a theory or conjecture without firm evidence. 2) invest in stocks, property, or other ventures in the hope of financial gain but with the risk of loss. DERIVATIVES speculation noun speculator noun. ORIGIN Latin speculari observe ,… …   English terms dictionary

  • speculate — [spek′yə lāt΄] vi. speculated, speculating [< L speculatus, pp. of speculari, to view < specula, watchtower < specere, to see: see SPY] 1. to think about the various aspects of a given subject; meditate; ponder; esp., to conjecture 2. to …   English World dictionary

  • speculate — v. 1) (D; intr.) ( to meditate, think ) to speculate about, on (to speculate about what might have been) 2) (D; intr.) ( to conduct business by taking risks ) to speculate in; on (to speculate in oil shares; to speculate in gold; to speculate on… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • speculate — verb ADVERB ▪ openly, publicly ▪ Commentators are openly speculating on whether the accusation is false. ▪ widely ▪ wildly ▪ The British press speculated …   Collocations dictionary

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