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

• academic
• academical
• conjectural
• hypothetical
• suppositional
• theoretical
• theoretic

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

To date, all changes are speculative in nature and are unlikely to be applied retroactively. —Cindy McGhee, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

These tokens illustrate how speculative assets tied to political figures can generate short-term buzz but carry significant downside for everyday buyers. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025

Any financial instruments mentioned herein are speculative in nature and may involve risk to principal and interest. —Katie Stockton, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025

But that benefit is speculative, would occur far in the future, and is clearly outweighed the obvious costs. —Eswar Prasad, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing speculative

• anti-speculative

Kids 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