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
Any financial instruments mentioned herein are speculative in nature and may involve risk to principal and interest.
—
Katie Stockton, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
Risk appetite spilled into speculative assets as well.
—Benzinga, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025
That doesn’t mean speculative fiction is bad or not worth anyone else’s time.
—Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
In 2021, Walmart purchased Iredell County’s largest speculative building for $69 million at 386 Old Murdock Road in Troutman, 35 miles north of Charlotte, with plans to create 500 jobs.
—Brian Gordon, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Katie Stockton, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
Risk appetite spilled into speculative assets as well.
—Benzinga, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025
That doesn’t mean speculative fiction is bad or not worth anyone else’s time.
—Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
In 2021, Walmart purchased Iredell County’s largest speculative building for $69 million at 386 Old Murdock Road in Troutman, 35 miles north of Charlotte, with plans to create 500 jobs.
—Brian Gordon, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculative
Adjective
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Advertisement Think about it through the lens of a hypothetical industrial company.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
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The experiment relies on detecting the faint interactions between hypothetical dark matter particles and atoms of liquid xenon, a noble gas chosen for its purity and stability.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Our own investments in AI over the last decade have transitioned from theoretical exploration to practical implementation, delivering tangible results for businesses.—
Derya Matras,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
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To overcome that, some investors are choosing to back companies that use AI to solve immediate and costly business problems for established large clients, rather than chase a theoretical potential.—
Ganesh Rao,Julianna Tatelbaum,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speculative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculative. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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