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Speculation vs Certainty - What's the difference?

speculation | certainty |

As nouns the difference between speculation and certainty

is that speculation is the process of thinking or meditating on a subject while certainty is the state of being certain.

speculation

English

Noun

(wikipedia speculation) (en noun)
  • The process of thinking or meditating on a subject.
  • * Milton
    • Thenceforth to speculations high or deep I turned my thoughts.
  • * 2012 , Caroline Davies, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announce they are expecting first baby'' (in ''The Guardian , 3 December 2012)[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/03/duke-and-duchess-of-cambridge-expecting-baby?intcmp=122]
    • The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have ended months of intense speculation by announcing they are expecting their first child, but were forced to share their news earlier than hoped because of the Duchess's admission to hospital on Monday.
  • (philosophy) The act or process of reasoning a priori from premises given or assumed.
  • A conclusion to which the mind comes by speculating; mere theory; notion; conjecture.
  • * Sir W. Temple
    • From him Socrates derived the principles of morality, and most part of his natural speculations .
  • * Macaulay
    • To his speculations on these subjects he gave the lofty name of the "Oracles of Reason".
  • (business, finance) An investment involving higher-than-normal risk in order to obtain a higher-than-normal return.
  • 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.
  • * A. Smith
    • Sudden fortunes, indeed, are sometimes made in such places, by what is called the trade of speculation .
  • * F. A. Walker
    • Speculation , while confined within moderate limits, is the agent for equalizing supply and demand, and rendering the fluctuations of price less sudden and abrupt than they would otherwise be.
  • Examination by the eye; view.
  • (obsolete) Power of sight.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Thou hast no speculation in those eyes.
  • 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.

    • Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * "on speculation" (on spec) Creating a work with the hope of selling it, as opposed to creating a work "on commission" for hire.

    Anagrams

    * *

    certainty

    English

    Noun

  • The state of being certain.
  • * Fisher Ames
    • The certainty of punishment is the truest security against crimes.
  • An instance of being certain.
  • A fact or truth unquestionably established.
  • * November 2 2014 , Daniel Taylor, " Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk
    • Yet the truth is that City would probably have been coasting by that point if the referee, Michael Oliver, had not turned down three separate penalties, at least two of which could be accurately described as certainties .
  • * 1824 , (Walter Savage Landor), Imaginary Conversations Volume 1
    • Certainties are uninteresting and sating.

    Synonyms

    * (state of being certain) certitude

    Antonyms

    * (state of being certain) uncertainty

    Related terms

    * certain * of a certainty

    External links

    * (wikipedia "certainty")