as in theoretic
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
Fashion becomes a kind of speculative archive—a visual lexicon of memory, cultural inheritance, and individuality.
—
Najha Zigbi-Johnson, Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
Any financial instruments mentioned herein are speculative in nature and may involve risk to principal and interest.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2025
The interpretation of the observed behavior remains somewhat speculative.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Apr. 2025
In both cases, Garland wants to plunge us into the immediate reality of a situation — one speculative, one from the recent past — and open our eyes to the horrors of what others have experienced.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Najha Zigbi-Johnson, Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
Any financial instruments mentioned herein are speculative in nature and may involve risk to principal and interest.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2025
The interpretation of the observed behavior remains somewhat speculative.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Apr. 2025
In both cases, Garland wants to plunge us into the immediate reality of a situation — one speculative, one from the recent past — and open our eyes to the horrors of what others have experienced.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculative
Adjective
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These aren’t hypothetical scenarios, but active use cases in pilot programs around the world.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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A lot was still hypothetical, imagined and hopeful about what could be.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Indeed, the risk of diversion from Plaintiff's sales is more than theoretical—the government can prove that Plaintiff actually sold LSD to a minor as well as an undercover officer.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
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Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, for example, can yet orchestrate a theoretical swing of close to £12million ($16m), a significant sum for those requiring summer rebuilds on finite resources.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speculative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculative. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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