as in hypothetical
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
For many sellers, the motivation is practical rather than speculative.
—
Jason Phillips, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Kathryn Budig, head of the speculative fiction imprint the Inky Phoenix, started her online book club of the same name in 2020.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Her collection of speculative essays, Stranger Faces, a 2020 National Book Critics Circle criticism finalist, showcases her wry wit and wide range of cultural interests, from Derrida to Keanu Reeves.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
There are plenty of essays dissecting pop songs and the artists behind them, and there are less thorough interrogations on platforms like X and Reddit, not to mention more speculative content on TikTok.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Jason Phillips, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Kathryn Budig, head of the speculative fiction imprint the Inky Phoenix, started her online book club of the same name in 2020.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Her collection of speculative essays, Stranger Faces, a 2020 National Book Critics Circle criticism finalist, showcases her wry wit and wide range of cultural interests, from Derrida to Keanu Reeves.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
There are plenty of essays dissecting pop songs and the artists behind them, and there are less thorough interrogations on platforms like X and Reddit, not to mention more speculative content on TikTok.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculative
Adjective
-
The poll found that Cornyn, Hunt and Paxton all have a lead over Crockett and Talarico in a hypothetical November matchup, but that their leads are within the poll’s margin of error.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Feb. 2026
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In the days leading up to the 2021 winter storm, the generator’s value was suddenly no longer hypothetical.—
Jessica Elliott,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Earlier theoretical work showed that combining spatial mode sorting with long-baseline interferometry could reach the true quantum limit for resolving two stars.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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The firm’s Chapter 11 practice is intentionally selective, focusing on cases with realistic paths to confirmation rather than theoretical restructuring plans.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Projections of economic gains from major sporting events are typically optimistic, euphoric, chimerical or conjectural.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
-
That statistic is somewhat conjectural, since the vast majority of rapes in India are apparently not reported.—
Mark Jenkins,
Washington Post,
7 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Speculative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculative. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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