on spec

idiom

1

: without having a definite buyer or customer but with the hope or expectation of finding one when work is completed

He built the house on spec.

She wrote the script on spec.

2

chiefly British : without being sure of success but with the hope of success

He wrote to the company on spec, hoping for a job.

Examples of on spec in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These decisions are not based on spec sheets or press releases, but derived from time behind the wheel with each (save for a couple of outliers). —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 11 June 2025

Other upgrades, like energy efficiency and smart features, can also offer an upside in value. Bonus: Builders are sitting on spec inventory. —Ryan Serhant, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

The annual builder’s show will relocate permanently to Las Vegas in 2027. 1 of 5 These homes are usually built on spec by local high-end home builders, then sold after the convention. —Laura Kinsler, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2025

Five years after Northern California’s Camp Fire, home prices in Paradise have gone up, and so has the number of houses sold that were built on spec, according to a study published last month. —Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for on spec

• aztec
• breakneck
• codec
• exec
• mixtec
• paycheck
• pinchbeck
• recheck
• redneck
• toltec
• beck
• breck