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

The two sides will stop fighting for 42 days, with the aim (again, speculative) of making that cease-fire permanent and ending the war. —Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025

Yes, but: Those plans are dependent on Cleveland-Cliffs acquisition of U.S. Steel and are still only speculative. —Sam Allard, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025

The funding was made by California Jobs First as part of a larger pool of $600 million created by the state in 2021 to help create jobs and prevent a wave of property acquisitions by speculative investors. —Pat Maio, Orange County Register, 15 Jan. 2025

More pain in speculative corners of the market like quantum computing, with Rigetti and D-Wave down sharply in the premarket. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Jan. 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