spec·u·la·tion 
/ˌspɛkjəˈleɪʃən/ noun
plural spec·u·la·tions /ˌspɛkjəˈleɪʃən/ noun 1 : ideas or guesses about something that is not known [noncount] ▪ He dismissed their theories as mere speculation. ▪ The book is just a lot of idle speculation about the future. ▪ There is speculation that he will run for president again. [=some people think that he might run for president again] [count] ▪ Her speculations leave many questions unanswered. 2 [noncount] : activity in which someone buys and sells things (such as stocks or pieces of property) in the hope of making a large profit but with the risk of a large loss
▪ He lost everything in foolish land speculation.
▪ He lost everything in foolish land speculation.
