speculation

/ˌspɛkjəˈleɪʃən/
noun
  1. The act of forming ideas or theories without having all the facts; a guess.
    • There is a lot of speculation about who will win the election.
    • His theory was based on pure speculation, not evidence.
    • The rumor caused widespread speculation among the employees.
  2. The act of investing money in risky ventures in the hope of making a large profit.
    • He made his fortune through careful speculation in the commodities market.
    • Real estate speculation can lead to huge gains or devastating losses.
    • The government introduced laws to limit financial speculation.