as in hypothetical
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
Lasting moments What is far less speculative, residents said, is the lasting effect the presence of the World Cup tournament, along with the presence of Algerians and their fans — both domestic and international — has had on them personally.
—
Emily Harter,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Both speculative and commercial campaigns were nominated, and were created using tools such as Sora, Veo, Runway Gen-4, Kling, and Hailuo.
—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Spreads on speculative-grade GCC sukuk remain elevated, suggesting investors are still demanding a higher premium for riskier borrowers.
—
Melissa Hancock,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
Agents from Hawthorne to Manhattan Beach, Venice and Santa Monica report early inquiries on $5-million-plus properties, raising fears of speculative price spikes and even tighter inventory.
—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Emily Harter,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Both speculative and commercial campaigns were nominated, and were created using tools such as Sora, Veo, Runway Gen-4, Kling, and Hailuo.
—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Spreads on speculative-grade GCC sukuk remain elevated, suggesting investors are still demanding a higher premium for riskier borrowers.
—
Melissa Hancock,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
Agents from Hawthorne to Manhattan Beach, Venice and Santa Monica report early inquiries on $5-million-plus properties, raising fears of speculative price spikes and even tighter inventory.
—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for speculative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculative
Adjective
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China has ratcheted up pressure on Tokyo after comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo, which drew criticism from Beijing.
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The workshop’s facilitators posed a series of hypothetical adversarial actions, or vignettes, to the participants.
Adjective
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When people see that scams can be built around them specifically, security habits stop feeling theoretical and start feeling necessary.
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After machine learning identified promising candidates, researchers verified them through theoretical calculations before synthesizing and experimentally confirming the materials.
Adjective
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The first two questions are too hypothetical and conjectural.
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Projections of economic gains from major sporting events are typically optimistic, euphoric, chimerical or conjectural.
Cite this Entry
“Speculative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculative. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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