Word a Day
speculate
What does speculate mean?
speculate (verb): to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence; to surmise or conjecture.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use speculate in a sentence?
How do you pronounce speculate?
/ˈspɛkjəˌleɪt/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does speculate come from?
Borrowed from Latin speculātus, perfect active participle of speculor (“to watch, observe, examine, spy”), from specula (“a watchtower”), ultimately from speciō (“to look at”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What are synonyms of speculate?
Words related to speculate
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “speculate”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “speculate” mean?
send on a course or in a direction different from the planned or intended one
Not quite: that's what divert means.
to make a claim as justification or proof; to make an assertion without proof
Not quite: that's what allege means.
to make an inference based on inconclusive evidence; to surmise or conjecture
Right! That's what “speculate” means.
to behave (especially to walk or carry oneself) in a pompous, superior manner
Not quite: that's what swagger means.
Which word is closest in meaning to “speculate”?
conjecture
Right!
substitute
Not quite: substitute means something else.
facilitate
Not quite: facilitate means something else.
strengthen
Not quite: strengthen means something else.
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