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
This rating reflects a speculative nature, suggesting that the entity may be more impacted by economic downturns or other adverse conditions.
—
Todd Spangler, Variety, 20 May 2026
Interest-earning speculation for the former two accounts, then, will be a bit speculative, while prospective CD account holders will be able to determine their interest earnings with precision.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Revisiting these works in 2026 is striking, partly because their anxieties no longer feel speculative.
—Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 12 May 2026
In subsequent decades, the Pentagon itself funded speculative basic research that resulted in semiconductors, GPS, and the internet — all of which looped back to strengthen American military advantage.
—Clay Chandler, semafor.com, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Todd Spangler, Variety, 20 May 2026
Interest-earning speculation for the former two accounts, then, will be a bit speculative, while prospective CD account holders will be able to determine their interest earnings with precision.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Revisiting these works in 2026 is striking, partly because their anxieties no longer feel speculative.
—Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 12 May 2026
In subsequent decades, the Pentagon itself funded speculative basic research that resulted in semiconductors, GPS, and the internet — all of which looped back to strengthen American military advantage.
—Clay Chandler, semafor.com, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculative
Adjective
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Polls show Donalds and Moody both ahead against any hypothetical Democratic opponent, and both are expected to be well funded, with plenty of national GOP support.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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The catch is that those tools have to be applied to real decisions, not hypothetical ones.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Candidates must demonstrate practical, daily AI fluency, not just theoretical knowledge, proven by automating real workflows.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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And the chaos is no longer theoretical.—
Wyles Daniel
May 19,
Miami Herald,
19 May 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 24 May. 2026.
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