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speculate. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
speculate, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
speculate in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
speculate you have here. The definition of the word
speculate will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
speculate, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin speculātus, past participle of speculor (“look out”), from specula (“watchtower”), from speciō (“look at”).
Pronunciation
Verb
speculate (third-person singular simple present speculates, present participle speculating, simple past and past participle speculated)
- (obsolete, intransitive) To think, meditate or reflect on a subject; to consider, to deliberate or cogitate.
- (intransitive) To make an inference based on inconclusive evidence; to surmise or conjecture.
1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 171:We can speculate that in many instances the sharks are not feeding on their victims, but only in a few cases can we guess what they are doing.
2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next; […].
- (intransitive, business, finance) To make a risky trade in the hope of making a profit; to venture or gamble.
1951 May, R. K. Kirkland, “The Cavan & Leitrim Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 345:Some preliminary legal arrangements were made, but the scheme proceeded no further, as the various local authorities concerned were unwilling to speculate public funds on what was, even at that date, a will o' the wisp.
- (intransitive, programming) To anticipate which branch of code will be chosen and execute it in advance.
Related terms
Translations
(obsolete in English) to meditate
to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence
Further reading
- “speculate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “speculate”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Anagrams
Italian
Etymology 1
Verb
speculate
- inflection of speculare:
- second-person plural present indicative
- second-person plural imperative
Etymology 2
Participle
speculate f pl
- feminine plural of speculato
Latin
Pronunciation
Participle
speculāte
- vocative masculine singular of speculātus