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
The film’s speculative elements — monoliths accelerating human evolution — were philosophical rather than scientific.
—
Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
Another attraction to American investors is the English game’s financial chaos, itself exacerbated by the speculative frenzy and dire stakes inherent in promotion/relegation.
—Andrés Martinez, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
While these accounts have rates competitive with the top CDs, these rates are variable and subject to change based on market conditions, meaning that interest-earning projections are speculative and likely to change.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
While much of the price pressure has so far remained speculative, driven by expectations of shortages rather than actual supply gaps, experts believe the imminent end to Middle Eastern flows will intensify the economic impact.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
Another attraction to American investors is the English game’s financial chaos, itself exacerbated by the speculative frenzy and dire stakes inherent in promotion/relegation.
—Andrés Martinez, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
While these accounts have rates competitive with the top CDs, these rates are variable and subject to change based on market conditions, meaning that interest-earning projections are speculative and likely to change.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
While much of the price pressure has so far remained speculative, driven by expectations of shortages rather than actual supply gaps, experts believe the imminent end to Middle Eastern flows will intensify the economic impact.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculative
Adjective
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The hypothetical study of how humans and extraterrestrials might communicate is a real scientific field, called xenolinguistics, that includes researchers from linguistics, animal communication, and anthropology.—
Tara Haelle,
NPR,
12 Apr. 2026
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Yet, primordial black holes remain frustratingly hypothetical despite being first proposed by Stephen Hawking in the 1970s.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Moreover, according to the researchers, their technique works even when there is no perfect theoretical model of the material, and the sample is not pure (which is often the case in real-world materials).—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
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This week, that scenario started to feel less theoretical.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Projections of economic gains from major sporting events are typically optimistic, euphoric, chimerical or conjectural.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
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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 17 Apr. 2026.
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