speculative

[ spek-yuh-ley-tiv, -luh-tiv ]

adjective

1. pertaining to, of the nature of, or characterized by speculation, contemplation, conjecture, or abstract reasoning:

   a speculative approach.

2. theoretical, rather than practical:

   speculative conclusions.

3. given to speculation, as persons, the mind, etc.
4. of the nature of or involving commercial or financial speculation:

   speculative ventures.

5. engaging in or given to such speculation.

ˈspeculative

/ ˈspɛkjʊlətɪv /

adjective

1. relating to or characterized by speculation, esp financial speculation

Derived Forms

• ˈspeculativeness, noun
• ˈspeculatively, adverb

Other Words From

• specu·lative·ly adverb
• specu·lative·ness noun
• anti·specu·lative adjective
• anti·specu·lative·ly adverb
• anti·specu·lative·ness noun
• hyper·specu·lative adjective
• hyper·specu·lative·ly adverb
• hyper·specu·lative·ness noun
• non·specu·lative adjective
• non·specu·lative·ly adverb
• non·specu·lative·ness noun
• over·specu·lative adjective
• over·specu·lative·ly adverb
• over·specu·lative·ness noun
• semi·specu·lative adjective
• semi·specu·lative·ly adverb
• semi·specu·lative·ness noun
• un·specu·lative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of speculative¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word speculātīvus. See speculate, -ive

Example Sentences

This is speculative, but it’s quite possible that Apple could become the number two mobile search engine.

From Search Engine Land

“These are speculative for sure, with a capital S,” says William Gabella.

From Science News For Students

He openly advocates that catching the coronavirus is a good thing, because healthy people will build up antibodies, a claim that is entirely speculative at this point.

From Voice of San Diego

The most recent numbers are speculative and from 2016, but they suggest that at the time, at least half of Americans had photos in a face recognition system.

From MIT Technology Review

All to be taken for what they are—informed but utterly speculative proposals.

From Nautilus

Dardagan and his peers are the first to admit that local media reports often are speculative in the extreme.

From The Daily Beast

Architecture has a long history of this type of speculative design.

From The Daily Beast

The speculative architecture of today can play that same role, and it often does.

From The Daily Beast

But it might break down in regimes we have trouble testing, and some speculative theories have proposed something like that.

From The Daily Beast

Luskin makes the best argument he can, of course, but it is piecemeal and speculative.

From The Daily Beast

Her youthful vanity had its way in a mind too speculative, intelligent, observant, merely to be shocked.

From Project Gutenberg

It was not a languid, speculative, preference of one theory of government to another, but a fierce and dominant passion.

From Project Gutenberg

It may be something; it may be nothing; but my speculative instinct has been aroused by a strange peculiarity in his playing.

From Project Gutenberg

Any lurking danger of too great speculative restlessness disappeared.

From Project Gutenberg

But from the day it was completed its securities have figured in the market only for their speculative values.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• analytical
• dangerous
• experimental
• hypothetical
• risky
• unproved
• unproven
• unsubstantiated