to believe something especially on uncertain grounds
example
Some early philosophers speculated that curiosity was an instinct that helped humans adapt to new environments by driving them to explore.
synonyms
theorizehypothesize
word origin — late 16th century: from Latin speculat- ‘observed from a vantage point’, from the verb speculari, from specula ‘watchtower’, from specere ‘to look’
Upper-Intermediate — Set 64
Set 64 of Upper-Intermediate covers 5 words: speculate, justify, associate, grasp, infer. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
speculate · verb/ˈspɛk(j)əˌleɪt/
to believe something especially on uncertain grounds
Some early philosophers speculated that curiosity was an instinct that helped humans adapt to new environments by driving them to explore.
Synonyms: theorize, hypothesize
Origin: late 16th century: from Latin speculat- ‘observed from a vantage point’, from the verb speculari, from specula ‘watchtower’, from specere ‘to look’
justify · verb/ˈdʒəstəˌfaɪ/
to show to be right by providing justification or proof
You will have to justify your decision by giving reasons why it is the best of all the choices.
Synonyms: explain, rationalize
Origin: Middle English (in the senses ‘administer justice to’ and ‘inflict a judicial penalty on’): from Old French justifier, from Christian Latin justificare ‘do justice to’, from Latin justus (see just)
associate · verb/əˈsoʊsiˌeɪt/
to make a logical or causal connection in mind
Research shows that people associate color black with confidence and intelligence.
Synonyms: link, relate
Origin: late Middle English (as a verb in the sense ‘join with in a common purpose’; as an adjective in the sense ‘allied’): from Latin associat- ‘joined’, from the verb associare, from ad- ‘to’ + socius ‘sharing, allied’
grasp · verb/ɡræsp/
to get the meaning of something
We need to examine this experience more closely and look at it from different perspectives to fully grasp its significance.
Synonyms: understand, comprehend
Origin: late Middle English: perhaps related to grope
infer · verb/ɪnˈfər/
to guess correctly; solve by guessing
We can infer from the available archaeological evidence that the society in this particular region had so much in common with those of non western Aegean islands.
Synonyms: deduce
Origin: late 15th century (in the sense ‘bring about, inflict’): from Latin inferre ‘bring in, bring about’ (in medieval Latin ‘deduce’), from in- ‘into’ + ferre ‘bring’