# speculator

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #58,377

## Definitions
1. One who speculates; an observer; a contemplator.
2. One who forms theories; a theorist.
3. One who speculates; as in investing, one who is willing to take volatile risks upon invested principal for the potential of substantial returns.
4. Synonym of field goal.

## Etymology
From Latin speculātor (“spy, explorer, investigator”), from speculor (“to watch, to observe”) + -tor (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from specula (“watchtower”), from speciō (“to watch, to observe”), q.v. In some senses, an agent noun formed within English from speculate. Doublet of spectator.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/speculator