Conjecture vs. Speculation — What's the Difference?

Used in academic and theoretical reasoning.

Making predictions about the future.

Focused on intellectual exploration.

Can affect markets and economies.

Suggests propositions needing proof.

Involves calculated risks.

Formation of opinions with incomplete information.

Common in business and finance.

Invites scrutiny and verification.

Personal or financial stake in outcomes.

In mathematics, a conjecture is a conclusion or a proposition which is suspected to be true due to preliminary supporting evidence, but for which no proof or disproof has yet been found. Some conjectures, such as the Riemann hypothesis (still a conjecture) or Fermat's Last Theorem (a conjecture until proven in 1995 by Andrew Wiles), have shaped much of mathematical history as new areas of mathematics are developed in order to prove them.

Continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature;

An opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information

Speculation is the purchase of an asset (a commodity, goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable in the near future. In finance, speculation is also the practice of engaging in risky financial transactions in an attempt to profit from short term fluctuations in the market value of a tradable financial instrument—rather than attempting to profit from the underlying financial attributes embodied in the instrument such as value addition, return on investment, or dividends.

Form an opinion or supposition about (something) on the basis of incomplete information

Reasoning based on inconclusive evidence; conjecture or supposition.

Opinion or judgment based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence; guesswork.

A conclusion, opinion, or theory reached by conjecture.

An opinion or conclusion based on guesswork

(Archaic) Contemplation or consideration of a subject; meditation.

To judge or conclude by conjecture; guess

Engagement in risky business transactions on the chance of quick or considerable profit.

To make a conjecture.

A commercial or financial transaction involving speculation.

(formal) A statement or an idea which is unproven, but is thought to be true; a guess.

(obsolete) The faculty of sight.

(formal) A supposition based upon incomplete evidence; a hypothesis.

(obsolete) An act of looking at something; examination, observation.

A statement likely to be true based on available evidence, but which has not been formally proven.

The process of thinking or meditating on a subject.

(obsolete) Interpretation of signs and omens.

(philosophy) The act or process of reasoning a priori from premises given or assumed.

To guess; to venture an unproven idea.

A conclusion to which the mind comes by speculating; mere theory; notion; conjecture.

(transitive) To infer on slight evidence; to guess at.

An investment involving higher-than-normal risk in order to obtain a higher-than-normal return.

An opinion, or judgment, formed on defective or presumptive evidence; probable inference; surmise; guess; suspicion.

The act or practice of buying land, goods, shares, etc., in expectation of selling at a higher price, or of selling with the expectation of repurchasing at a lower price; a trading on anticipated fluctuations in price, as distinguished from trading in which the profit expected is the difference between the retail and wholesale prices, or the difference of price in different markets.

To arrive at by conjecture; to infer on slight evidence; to surmise; to guess; to form, at random, opinions concerning.

A card game in which the players buy from one another trumps or whole hands, upon a chance of getting the highest trump dealt, which entitles the holder to the pool of stakes.

To make conjectures; to surmise; to guess; to infer; to form an opinion; to imagine.

(programming) The process of anticipating which branch of code will be chosen and executing it in advance.

A hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence);

The act of speculating.

A message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

Examination by the eye; view.

Reasoning that involves the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence

A conclusion to which the mind comes by speculating; mere theory; view; notion; conjecture.

To believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds;

Mental view of anything in its various aspects and relations; contemplation; intellectual examination.

Power of sight.

The act or process of reasoning a priori from premises given or assumed.

A game at cards in which the players buy from one another trumps or whole hands, upon a chance of getting the highest trump dealt, which entitles the holder to the pool of stakes.

The act or practice of buying land, goods, shares, etc., in expectation of selling at a higher price, or of selling with the expectation of repurchasing at a lower price; a trading on anticipated fluctuations in price, as distinguished from trading in which the profit expected is the difference between the retail and wholesale prices, or the difference of price in different markets.

Any business venture in involving unusual risks, with a chance for large profits.

A message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

A hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence);

An investment that is very risky but could yield great profits;

In the stock market, speculation involves buying or selling stocks based on future price predictions, aiming for profit from market fluctuations.

Professionals manage speculation risks through diversification, research, and strategies like hedging to mitigate potential losses.

Yes, conjecture can lead to scientific breakthroughs when it guides research towards proving or disproving theories, filling gaps in knowledge.

Speculation is risky due to its reliance on future predictions, which are inherently uncertain and can lead to significant financial losses.

In scientific research, conjecture is a hypothesis or theory proposed based on incomplete evidence, serving as a starting point for further investigation.

Conjecture is a reasoned hypothesis made from incomplete information, while an assumption is taken as true without proof for the sake of argument or analysis.

While commonly financial, speculation can also refer to predictions in non-financial contexts, such as speculating about outcomes of events.

In mathematics, conjecture stimulates research and discussion, leading to proofs or counterexamples that advance the field.

Strategies include thorough market research, setting loss limits, and not investing more than one can afford to lose.

Investment focuses on long-term growth and is generally less risky, while speculation aims for quick gains with higher risk and volatility.

Yes, conjecture can be proven or disproven through research, experimentation, and evidence gathering, transitioning from theory to fact.

Speculation can provide liquidity and price discovery in markets, but excessive speculation can lead to bubbles and economic instability.

Conjectures become accepted theories when they are rigorously tested and consistently supported by evidence and experimentation.

Yes, speculation can influence market trends, as speculative actions can drive prices up or down, affecting the overall market sentiment.

Ethical considerations include the impact on market stability, effects on small investors, and the responsibility in spreading information.