speculation vs theory

theory vs speculation

speculation and theory both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
speculation	Yes	No	No	No
theory	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, theory is a hypernym of speculation; that is, theory is a word with a broader meaning than speculation:

speculation: a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)
theory: a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena

Other hypernyms of speculation include hypothesis, possibility.

speculation (noun)	theory (noun)
a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)	a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature	a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena
a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence	a belief that can guide behavior
an investment that is very risky but could yield great profits

Difference between speculation and theory

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