From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishspeculatespec‧u‧late /ˈspekjəleɪt/ ●○○ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]GUESS to guess about the possible causes or effects of something, without knowing all the facts or details She refused to speculate.speculate on/about (why/what etc) Jones refused to speculate about what might happen.speculate that Some analysts speculated that jobs will be lost.2 [intransitive]BFBB to buy goods, property, shares in a company etc, hoping that you will make a large profit when you sell themspeculate in/on He speculated in stocks.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
speculate• We don't know why the prehistoric stone circles were built. We can only speculate.• Party insiders had speculated about competition between Symington and Woods to lead the delegation.• People have been speculating about interstellar flight for years.• Wall Street had speculated earlier this week that Kodak would unload the unprofitable unit.• Terry speculated heavily in mining shares and lost a lot of money.• Builders and developers themselves may also speculate in land in this way.• Her father made his money speculating on the New York Stock Exchange.• Edward began to speculate on what life would be like if he were single again.• He speculated that the people down south in San Diego just don't know who Bob Farner is.• Edouard, who had had plenty of time to speculate, was still surprised by her arrival.speculate that• Scientists speculate that a giant asteroid hit Earth millions of years ago.• Some experts speculate that a Perot candidacy would hurt the Dole-Kemp ticket more than Clinton in November.• But he and some other scientists speculate that microbes may once have dwelled in Martian bodies of water.• At another he speculates that none of them knew much about news or editing.• Expert witnesses speculated that the number of cases of leprosy in the country was between 500 and 2,500.• Some speculated that this may have been a product of trying to create a hypertext and converting that into text.• It is possible to speculate that this system might enter a region of chaotic behavior in vivo.speculate in/on• Police would not speculate on a motive, except to say that Avanesian had a long-running dispute with his wife.• Builders and developers themselves may also speculate in land in this way.• They speculated on Luke's future standing in the community after he was discharged from hospital.• But he also speculated on much wider issues.• That is their secret, and will remain so; it behoves us not to pry, only to speculate in passing.• In the absence of systematic research on these questions one can only speculate on the likely consequences of changes in employment practices.• Without much else to do, they speculate on when and with whom she will lose her virginity.• We can speculate on why great things are often accomplished in dull or tacky surroundings.From Longman Business Dictionaryspeculatespec‧u‧late /ˈspekjəleɪt/ verb1[intransitive]FINANCE to buy goods, shares, property etc in the hope that their value will increase so that you can sell them at a higher price and make a profit, often quicklyspeculate inInvestors may speculate in distressed companies that they think may restructure themselves or be taken over.speculate onMany ordinary people have now started to speculate on the stock market.It is no longer as profitable to speculate on oil futures.2[intransitive, transitive] to think or talk about the possible causes or effects of something without knowing all the facts or detailsspeculate on/aboutMany people speculate on the effect of long-term unemployment on the crime rate.He declined to speculate about the likely cost of the project.speculate thatIndustry analysts now speculate that the company may go into receivership.→ See Verb tableOrigin speculate (1500-1600) Latin past participle of speculari “to watch (secretly)”, from specere “to look (at)” 