What does "speculation" mean?

1. (guessing without proof) forming an opinion or theory without having all the facts or certain proof. 2. (risky investing) buying something like land or stocks hoping the price will go up so you can sell it for a big profit. 3. (computing) a process where a computer predicts which path a program will take and starts the work early.

How do you use "speculation"?

Often takes the preposition 'in' followed by the asset type.

speculation

US //ˌspɛkjəˈɫeɪʃən// UK //spˌɛkjʊlˈeɪʃən// spec·u·la·tion

1 guessing without proof (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

forming an opinion or theory without having all the facts or certain proof.

the act of theorising or conjecturing about a subject without firm evidence. Often uncountable when referring to the general activity.

Example

There has been a lot of speculation about who will win the election next month.

Example

The media's constant speculation regarding the CEO's health caused the company's stock price to fluctuate wildly before the official statement.
2 risky investing (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Business

buying something like land or stocks hoping the price will go up so you can sell it for a big profit.

the practice of engaging in risky financial transactions in an attempt to profit from short-term fluctuations in market value.

Example

He lost most of his savings through reckless speculation in the property market.

Example

The economic crisis was largely attributed to excessive speculation in subprime mortgages by major financial institutions.

Usage

Often takes the preposition 'in' followed by the asset type.

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3 computing (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

a process where a computer predicts which path a program will take and starts the work early.

the execution of tasks by a computer system before it is certain they are actually required, in order to improve performance.

Example

Modern processors use speculation to speed up how they handle complex instructions.

Example

Security vulnerabilities were discovered in the way the processor handled branch speculation during high-speed data processing.
- predictive execution

Origin

Etymology tree Middle English speculation English speculation From Middle English speculacioun, speculation, from Old French speculation (compare French spéculation), from Late Latin speculātiō, speculātiōnem, from Latin speculor. Morphologically speculate + -ion.