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
Any financial instruments mentioned herein are speculative in nature and may involve risk to principal and interest.
—
Katie Stockton, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Traditional five- or ten-year career plans now feel less like roadmaps and more like works of speculative fiction.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Well, not hope, but at least a reassurance that real-world business fundamentals still matter in a market obsessed with speculative AI pitch decks?
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Some even preferred humanoids for certain tasks, especially when the special-purpose alternative was more speculative—like a dressing assistant robot.
—Maya Cakmak, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Katie Stockton, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Traditional five- or ten-year career plans now feel less like roadmaps and more like works of speculative fiction.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Well, not hope, but at least a reassurance that real-world business fundamentals still matter in a market obsessed with speculative AI pitch decks?
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Some even preferred humanoids for certain tasks, especially when the special-purpose alternative was more speculative—like a dressing assistant robot.
—Maya Cakmak, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculative
Adjective
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Based on the state’s 2019 study, the county would likely have valued this hypothetical home around 92% of its market value.—
Madeline King,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
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And that fear isn’t hypothetical.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And many additional ideas in theoretical physics seek to add in additional symmetries, additional dimensions, additional extra particles, or additional unification frameworks.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
9 Sep. 2025
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If not, these elements of Musk’s project are likely to remain more theoretical, just as the dreams of last century’s techno-utopians did.—
Sonja Fritzsche,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speculative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculative. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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