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
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
Why Apple stock isn't growing aggressively Why Tesla stock might not be a buy
What's next for Boeing?
Is Bitcoin a good speculative investment?
—
Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Set in a speculative future in which the supply chain has failed and a lethal drug holds sway, Leif Enger’s latest novel steers a harrowing course through a broken world.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
Of those three examples, only the last was a historical figure, though speculative historical antecedents exist for the others.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
In the ruling, the court held that the chain of causation asserted by the plaintiffs was too speculative.
—Noah Feldman, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
Phoenix became the center of the speculative real estate boom that filled out the first years of the new millennium.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Only one is linked to the speculative sector of the crypto economy.
—Mark Lurie, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
In a federal courtroom in lower Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan called the defense argument misleading, logically flawed and speculative.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 28 Mar. 2024
For buyers who may not have the time to build, the builders have also started on multiple speculative homes where buyers have the opportunity to make selections but can be assured a move-in date sooner than building from start to finish.
—Prime Development, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2024
Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Set in a speculative future in which the supply chain has failed and a lethal drug holds sway, Leif Enger’s latest novel steers a harrowing course through a broken world.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
Of those three examples, only the last was a historical figure, though speculative historical antecedents exist for the others.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
In the ruling, the court held that the chain of causation asserted by the plaintiffs was too speculative.
—Noah Feldman, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
Phoenix became the center of the speculative real estate boom that filled out the first years of the new millennium.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Only one is linked to the speculative sector of the crypto economy.
—Mark Lurie, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
In a federal courtroom in lower Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan called the defense argument misleading, logically flawed and speculative.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 28 Mar. 2024
For buyers who may not have the time to build, the builders have also started on multiple speculative homes where buyers have the opportunity to make selections but can be assured a move-in date sooner than building from start to finish.
—Prime Development, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speculative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near speculative
Cite this Entry
“Speculative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speculative. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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