speculation Hear it!

speculation Definition

specu·la·tion (spek′yə lā′s̸hən)

noun

    1. the act of speculating, or meditating
    2. a thought or conjecture
    1. the act of speculating in stocks, land, etc.
    2. a speculative business venture

speculation Synonyms

speculation

n.

  1. Thought

    meditation, consideration, thinking; see thought 1.

  2. Speculative business

    trading in futures, speculative enterprise, financial risk, a flier in stocks*, risky deal*; see also gambling.

    Antonyms risk*, safe investment, legitimate business.

speculation Usage Examples

Preposition: on

  • fansites: But maybe they will - I am sure that the source of many of their stories is idle speculation on fansites.

Preposition: in

  • press: That statement followed speculation in the weekend press that private equity firm Permira were about to make a bid for the company.

Adjective modifier

  • idle: The music from one slice of Johnny ' Hammond ' Smith is more fun than any of this idle speculation.
  • metaphysical: He may not believe even in God, may not ask what his soul is, nor think of any metaphysical speculation.
  • pure: There has been no concrete interest from us, it's pure speculation.
  • endless: Endless speculation is possible about the role these fascinating stones played in the life of the Neolithic people.
  • feverish: They turned to each other in groups to compare notes and trade feverish speculations.
  • rampant: Very high numbers of posts can result from rampant speculation, which may attract traders or repel contrarian investors.

Converse of object

  • quash: And he went some way to quash the speculation that he is enjoying the top job too much to want to leave it behind.
  • dismiss: Ian Moore's agent has dismissed speculation linking the player with a move to Sheffield Wednesday.
  • quell: To quell speculation... I'm amazed - you people actually read these memes.
  • prompt: The surprise CPI figure has prompted industry speculation that the next Bank of England base rate move may be down instead of up.
  • spark: The increase in rates in the US sparked speculation in markets across the rest of the globe.
  • heighten: That speculation heightened on Wednesday with the announcement that Vise President Dick Cheney would tour the Middle East in mid-March.

Noun used with modifier

  • takeover: He still owns 8 per cent of JJB, which is currently the subject of takeover speculation.
  • currency: I would also want a Tobin tax levied on currency speculation viii.
  • media: There has been much publicity and media speculation concerning the changes in licensing law that come into force this week.
  • bid: The DTI said it was aware of all the bid speculation.
  • press: The board has noted the recent press speculation on this subject.
  • medium: I am sure there will be a great deal of media speculation about what happens next.
speculation Quotes

Let us descend now therefore from this top Of speculation.

—Milton,John

Philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions, since no definite answerscan, asa rule, be knowntobetrue, but rather for the sake of the questions themselves; because these questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination, and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation; but above all because, through the greatness of the universe which philosophy contemplates, the mind also is rendered great, and becomes capable of that union with the universe which constitutes its highest good.

—Russell, Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl

Buyan annuity cheap, and make your life interesting to yourself and everybody else that watches the speculation. 268

—Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam