speculate
verb
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Definition of speculate
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Other Words from speculate
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noun
Synonyms for speculate
Synonyms
assume, conjecture, daresay, guess, imagine, presume, suppose, surmise, suspect, suspicion [chiefly dialect]
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Examples of speculate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But while many have speculated that vitamin E additives could be the culprit, investigators have not yet zeroed in on a specific source. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "More deaths associated with mysterious vaping illness; 11 cases reported in San Diego County," 6 Sep. 2019 After falling to 5,857 last year, complaints have skyrocketed this year to 24,714 to date, said Houk, speculating that some of this year’s surge is attributable to expanded use of a new app, airnoise.io, for reporting airplane noise. — John Laidler, BostonGlobe.com, "In Medford, noise complaints from airplanes are going through the roof," 6 Sep. 2019 All heck broke loose at the Raiders’ facility Thursday when news leaked of Brown’s confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock, which some speculated could lead to a suspension. — Ryan O’halloran, The Denver Post, "Broncos not surprised Antonio Brown to play Monday night," 6 Sep. 2019 Smith’s father Mike told TMZ — which was first to report the news — that his daughter was a skilled rider and speculates that a deer was the cause of the sudden swerve. — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE.com, "American Idol Contestant Haley Smith Dies in Maine Motorcycle Accident at Age 26," 3 Sep. 2019 The eye has been shrinking this afternoon, and the hurricane center speculated that an eyewall replacement cycle is beginning. — Leigh Morgan, al, "Hurricane Dorian 2019 track update: Dorian slams Bahamas; warnings issued for Florida," 1 Sep. 2019 This could reflect the influence of hormones or possibly social differences among gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, the study authors speculated. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "No 'gay gene' can predict sexual orientation, study says," 30 Aug. 2019 One is speculated to date back to the turn of the 20th century, when white was worn for function more than fashion. — Kami Phillips, CNN Underscored, "10 white styles you should totally wear after Labor Day," 29 Aug. 2019 This shot finally confirms that the planet is not Tatooine or Jakku, as fans previously speculated. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," 26 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'speculate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for speculate
speculator
nounFinancial Definition of speculator
What It Is
A speculator is a person or an entity that trades securities essentially as bets that the price will go up or down, and as such, typically has an above-average risk tolerance.
How It Works
Although one can argue that all investment is speculation, an acknowledged speculator will buy or sell a security solely to reap a typically short-term profit from the price movement of that security. This motivation differs significantly from those of more traditional investors or hedgers.
For example, consider the purchase of corn futures. A hedger may purchase these securities in order to offset any negative movements in the price of corn and thus stabilize his or her portfolio (these people might be corn growers or cereal companies, for instance). A speculator, however, may buy the very same security simply because he or she has reason to believe the position will increase in value. He or she simply bets on which way the market is going to go.
Why It Matters
Speculation can sometimes drive securities prices away from their intrinsic value, either becoming overpriced during a buying frenzy or becoming underpriced during a huge sell-off. Although speculators sometimes get a bad rap in the press for this reason, they are a crucial lubricant to the markets, particularly the commodities markets. Although they don't want to physically possess any of the commodities they're trading (that is, they don't really want a truckload of rice delivered to their door), their trading activity brings liquidity to the market, which in turn provides stability and efficiency to those markets.
It is important to note, however, that speculators are generally bigger risk takers than other investors. They are more likely than other investors to use leverage, and as such can suffer huge losses alongside huge gains.
Source: Investing Answers
speculate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of speculate
See the full definition for speculate in the English Language Learners Dictionary