speculation
See also: spéculation
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Old French speculation (compare French spéculation), from Late Latin speculātiō, speculātiōnem, from Latin speculor.
Pronunciation
Noun
speculation (countable and uncountable, plural speculations)
- The process of thinking or meditating on a subject.
- (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Thenceforth to speculations high or deep I turned my thoughts.
- 2012, Caroline Davies, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announce they are expecting first baby (in The Guardian, 3 December 2012)[1]
- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have ended months of intense speculation by announcing they are expecting their first child, but were forced to share their news earlier than hoped because of the Duchess's admission to hospital on Monday.
- (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (philosophy) The act or process of reasoning a priori from premises given or assumed.
- A conclusion to which the mind comes by speculating; mere theory; notion; conjecture.
- (Can we date this quote by Sir W. Temple and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- From him Socrates derived the principles of morality, and most part of his natural speculations.
- (Can we date this quote by Macaulay and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- To his speculations on these subjects he gave the lofty name of the "Oracles of Reason".
- (Can we date this quote by Sir W. Temple and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (business, finance) An investment involving higher-than-normal risk in order to obtain a higher-than-normal return.
- The act or practice of buying land, goods, shares, etc., in expectation of selling at a higher price, or of selling with the expectation of repurchasing at a lower price; a trading on anticipated fluctuations in price, as distinguished from trading in which the profit expected is the difference between the retail and wholesale prices, or the difference of price in different markets.
- (Can we date this quote by A. Smith and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Sudden fortunes, indeed, are sometimes made in such places, by what is called the trade of speculation.
- (Can we date this quote by F. A. Walker and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Speculation, while confined within moderate limits, is the agent for equalizing supply and demand, and rendering the fluctuations of price less sudden and abrupt than they would otherwise be.
- (Can we date this quote by A. Smith and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Examination by the eye; view.
- (obsolete) Power of sight.
- (Can we date this quote by William Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Thou hast no speculation in those eyes.
- (Can we date this quote by William Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- A card game in which the players buy from one another trumps or whole hands, upon a chance of getting the highest trump dealt, which entitles the holder to the pool of stakes.
- (programming) The process of anticipating which branch of code will be chosen and executing it in advance.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:supposition
Derived terms
- "on speculation" (on spec) Creating a work with the hope of selling it, as opposed to creating a work "on commission" for hire.
Translations
process of thinking or meditation
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philosophy: act or process of reasoning from premises given or assumed
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judgment or conclusion reached by speculating
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business, finance: investment involving higher-than-normal risk
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act or practice of investing in expectation of making a profit from future price changes
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examination by the eye
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power of sight
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card game
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Anagrams
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Old French
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/eɪʃən
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- English nouns
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