as in theoretic
existing only as an assumption or speculation
a speculative explanation of why this ancient pottery was found hundreds of miles from where it was made
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Recent Examples of speculative
But paving over farmland and taking private property for speculative future needs isn’t the solution.
—
Joanne Frederick, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025
What kind of interactive training (cooperative, adversary) is speculative, but the dynamics may suggest some sort of adversary training was at least part of it.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
History suggests that prioritizing a speculative new extractive frontier over international ocean governance institutions could end up doing far more harm to American interests than good.
—Time, 17 June 2025
Unlike the speculative crypto cycles of previous years, RWA tokens offer something fundamentally different: real yield backed by real assets.
—Anastasia Chernikova, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Joanne Frederick, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025
What kind of interactive training (cooperative, adversary) is speculative, but the dynamics may suggest some sort of adversary training was at least part of it.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
History suggests that prioritizing a speculative new extractive frontier over international ocean governance institutions could end up doing far more harm to American interests than good.
—Time, 17 June 2025
Unlike the speculative crypto cycles of previous years, RWA tokens offer something fundamentally different: real yield backed by real assets.
—Anastasia Chernikova, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculative
Adjective
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Meanwhile, civil society groups, ranging from the Electronic Frontier Foundation to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, argue that those harms are not hypothetical, but are here now.—
Paulo Carvão,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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The challenge here was to think about a hypothetical world unique and singular to the world of the film – neither past, present nor future.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Final Approach The consequences are no longer theoretical.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
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For the first time in decades, the question of succession is no longer theoretical.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Twin Cities,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speculative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculative. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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