Definitions
- Referring to making guesses or predictions about something without having all the facts. - Talking about considering different possibilities or outcomes of a situation. - Describing a discussion or analysis of a topic that involves making assumptions or hypotheses.
- Referring to forming an opinion or conclusion based on incomplete information or evidence. - Talking about making an educated guess or inference about something. - Describing a situation where one assumes or presumes something to be true without concrete evidence.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words involve making assumptions or guesses about something.
- 2Both words imply a lack of complete information or evidence.
- 3Both words can be used to describe discussions or analyses of a topic.
What is the difference?
- 1Definition: Speculate refers to making guesses or predictions, while surmise refers to forming an opinion or conclusion based on incomplete information.
- 2Evidence: Speculate may involve considering different possibilities, while surmise is based on limited evidence or information.
- 3Degree of certainty: Surmise implies a higher degree of certainty than speculate.
- 4Usage: Speculate is more commonly used in business, finance, and politics, while surmise is more commonly used in everyday conversation.
- 5Connotation: Speculate can have a negative connotation of being unreliable or unfounded, while surmise is more neutral and can imply a reasonable assumption.
Remember this!
Speculate and surmise are synonyms that both refer to making assumptions or guesses about something without complete information. However, speculate emphasizes making predictions or considering different possibilities, while surmise emphasizes forming an opinion or conclusion based on incomplete evidence. Additionally, surmise implies a higher degree of certainty than speculate.
