# speculation

/ˌspɛkjəˈɫeɪʃən/ (US) · /spˌɛkjʊlˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/speculation
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. guessing without proof

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

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

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

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

### 3. computing

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- Modern processors use speculation to speed up how they handle complex instructions.
- Security vulnerabilities were discovered in the way the processor handled branch speculation during high-speed data processing.

## Examples

- There is a lot of speculation about who will win the election.
- The sudden rise in local property prices was driven more by financial speculation than by actual housing demand.
- While the report contains some grounded analysis, the final chapter descends into mere speculation regarding the long-term social consequences of the policy shift.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.