especulación

speculation

noun es-peh-koo-lah-SYOHN Rare

Origin: From Latin speculatio (observation, watching).

Usage Note

Especulación covers both intellectual speculation (guesswork, theorizing) and financial speculation (risky investing for profit). Context usually disambiguates: especulación bursátil (stock-market speculation) vs. puras especulaciones (mere speculation/conjecture). The verb is especular and the agent noun is especulador. Note the accent on the final syllable.

Examples

"La especulación inmobiliaria sube los precios."

Natural Translation

Real-estate speculation drives up prices.

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