Meanings
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1
noun
a person who buys or sells assets in the hope of profiting from uncertain price changes
The speculator bought the shares expecting their price to rise sharply.
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2
noun
a person who forms theories or conjectures without complete evidence
Early speculators proposed elaborate models of the universe without experimental proof.
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3
noun
a person who observes or reflects on a subject
The philosophical speculator considered what could be known beyond immediate experience.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Latin speculator ("observer, scout, spy"), from speculari ("to watch, examine"), ultimately from specere ("to look"). English speculate developed both intellectual conjecture and risky financial dealing, and speculator names the person in either activity.