What is the word that means a 'what if' phrase?

spec•u•la•tion (ˌspɛk yəˈleɪ ʃən)

n.

1. the contemplation or consideration of some subject.


2. a single instance or process of consideration.


3. a conclusion or opinion reached by such contemplation.


4. conjectural consideration of a matter; conjecture or surmise.


5. engagement in commercial transactions that involve risk with the hope of profiting as a result of market fluctuations.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

spec·u·late (spĕk′yə-lāt′)
v. spec·u·lat·ed, spec·u·lat·ing, spec·u·lates

v.intr.

1. To engage in a course of reasoning often based on inconclusive evidence; conjecture or theorize.


2. To engage in the buying or selling of a commodity with an element of risk on the chance of profit.

v.tr.

To assume to be true without conclusive evidence: speculated that high cholesterol was a contributing factor to the patient's health problems.

[Latin speculārī, speculāt-, to observe, from specula, watchtower, from specere, to look at; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Adjective: Speculative.

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con·jec·ture (kən-jĕk′chər)

n.

1. Opinion or judgment based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence; guesswork.


2. An opinion or conclusion based on guesswork: The commentators made various conjectures about the outcome of the next election.

v. con·jec·tured, con·jec·tur·ing, con·jec·tures

v.tr.

To judge or conclude by conjecture; guess: "From the comparative silence below ... I conjectured that Mr Rochester was now at liberty" (Charlotte Brontë).

v.intr.

To make a conjecture.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin coniectūra, from coniectus, past participle of conicere, to infer : com-, com- + iacere, to throw; see yē- in Indo-European roots.]

• con·jec′tur·a·ble adj.


• con·jec′tur·al adj.


• con·jec′tur·al·ly adv.


• con·jec′tur·er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.