Word
speculate
Phoneticsspec·u·late, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈspɛkjəˌɫeɪt/
UK/spˈɛkjʊlˌeɪt/
Definitions
01to guess or conjecture
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to form an opinion or guess about something without having enough information to be certain.
v. to form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence. Intransitive, often followed by 'on', 'about', or a 'that' clause.
“Journalists began to speculate about the reasons for the minister's sudden resignation.”
“Market analysts continue to speculate on the long-term implications of the central bank's decision to maintain current interest rates.”
Synonyms
02financial risk
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
v. to buy something like land or stocks hoping the price will go up so you can sell it for a profit.
v. to invest in assets with the expectation of profit but with a significant risk of loss. Intransitive, typically taking the preposition 'in'.
“He made a fortune by speculating in the local property market during the boom.”
“The hedge fund was accused of speculating in commodity futures, contributing to the extreme volatility of food prices.”
03computing
C2 · Proficiency Computing Technical
v. when a computer processor guesses which instructions to run next to save time.
v. to execute instructions in advance of knowing whether they will be needed, a technique used to improve performance.
“Modern processors speculate on branch outcomes to speed up software execution.”
“Speculative execution allows the CPU to process multiple paths of logic simultaneously before the conditional branch is actually resolved.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “speculate” in context.
Verb
01. refuse to speculate
“The police spokesperson refused to speculate while the investigation was still ongoing.”
verb + infinitive
02. speculate about the future
“Economists are speculating about the future of the global market after the recent crash.”
verb + prep + noun
03. speculate on the cause
“Scientists continue to speculate on the cause of the sudden climate shift.”
verb + prep + noun
04. wildly speculate that
“The media wildly speculated that the celebrity couple had already married in secret.”
adv + verb + that-clause
Adverb
05. idly speculate
“We sat on the porch and idly speculated about who might move into the empty house next door.”
adv + verb
06. openly speculate about the reasons
“Staff members began to openly speculate about the reasons for the manager's sudden resignation.”
adv + verb + prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“Some speculate that a new call-up could come after September’s elections to the Duma.” “And Bill Gates is among the tech thought leaders who have speculated that AI will replace many teachers within the next decade.” “And based on that, we will act on what we learn."
However, he added it was "too early to speculate on the full findings".” “The team speculates that’s likely where the flies fall back on simpler reflexes.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin speculātus, perfect active participle of speculor (“to watch, observe, examine, spy”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from specula (“a watchtower”), ultimately from speciō (“to look at”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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