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
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 idea of self-reflective agents ventures into speculative territory.
—
Douglas B. Laney, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Many speculative pockets of the stock market surged Thursday, the first session of the new year, right after the S&P 500 closed out the best two-year run since 1998.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
Her post was interpreted by many to be a direct response to speculative videos on the social media platform, such as one by pop culture commenter and podcast host Sloan Hooks, which has garnered nearly 500,000 likes, suggesting that the couple has been involved in a disagreement.
—Tabitha Parent, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025
The law bans deceptive advertising and speculative pricing.
—Acacia Squires, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for speculative 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Douglas B. Laney, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Many speculative pockets of the stock market surged Thursday, the first session of the new year, right after the S&P 500 closed out the best two-year run since 1998.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
Her post was interpreted by many to be a direct response to speculative videos on the social media platform, such as one by pop culture commenter and podcast host Sloan Hooks, which has garnered nearly 500,000 likes, suggesting that the couple has been involved in a disagreement.
—Tabitha Parent, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025
The law bans deceptive advertising and speculative pricing.
—Acacia Squires, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for speculative
Dictionary Entries Near speculative
Cite this Entry
“Speculative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speculative. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share