speculative

adjective

spec·​u·​la·​tive ˈspe-kyə-lə-tiv 

-ˌlā-

1

: involving, based on, or constituting intellectual speculation

also : theoretical rather than demonstrable

speculative knowledge

2

: marked by questioning curiosity

gave him a speculative glance

3

: of, relating to, or being a financial speculation

speculative stocks

speculative venture

speculatively adverb

Synonyms of speculative

• hypothetical
• theoretical
• conjectural

Examples of speculative in a Sentence

His conclusions are highly speculative.

a writer with a speculative mind

a speculative boom in housing construction

Recent Examples on the Web

On the last earnings call, CEO Jitendra Mohan stressed that hyperscalers, AI labels and sovereign entities are all signaling the buildout is still in the early innings, underpinned by real monetization, and return on investment — not on speculative demand. —Todd Gordon, CNBC, 9 June 2026

The investments often comprised speculative Silicon Valley ventures, rather than sticking to traditional portfolios of infrastructure, real estate, or public equities that provided steady returns. —Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 9 June 2026

But even that speculative scheme showed how sophisticated PAU could be in adapting an assortment of seductive pasts. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026

This year marks the first-ever Nebula given for poetry, a welcome sign of the increasing breadth of talent in the speculative space. —Drew Broussard, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing speculative

• anti-speculative

Kids Definition

speculative

adjective

spec·​u·​la·​tive ˈspek-yə-lət-iv 

-ˌlāt-

1

a

: of or relating to mental speculation

speculative knowledge

b

: curious sense 1

a speculative glance

2

: of or relating to financial speculation

speculatively adverb

Legal Definition

speculative

adjective

spec·​u·​la·​tive ˈspe-kyə-lə-tiv, -ˌlā- 

1

: involving, based on, or constituting intellectual speculation

also : theoretical rather than demonstrable

speculative medical testimony concerning the cause of death

2

: of, relating to, or being a financial speculation

speculative securities

speculative home building

speculatively adverb