speculative
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, of the nature of, or characterized by speculation, contemplation, conjecture, or abstract reasoning.
a speculative approach.
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theoretical, rather than practical.
speculative conclusions.
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given to speculation, as persons, the mind, etc.
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of the nature of or involving commercial or financial speculation.
speculative ventures.
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engaging in or given to such speculation.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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antispeculativenessnoun
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semispeculativenessnoun
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hyperspeculativelyadverb
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nonspeculativeadjective
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overspeculativenessnoun
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overspeculativelyadverb
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speculativenessnoun
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hyperspeculativeadjective
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antispeculativelyadverb
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semispeculativeadjective
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nonspeculativenessnoun
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nonspeculativelyadverb
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antispeculativeadjective
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speculativelyadverb
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semispeculativelyadverb
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hyperspeculativenessnoun
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unspeculativeadjective
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overspeculativeadjective
Etymology
Origin of speculative
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word speculātīvus. See speculate, -ive
Explanation
Speculative describes very risky and unproven ideas or chances. You might have great ideas about starting your own business but your plans are speculative until you earn money from them. Speculative describes abstract ideas — usually with high risk — that often come with excitement and expectation too. A speculative investment could mean putting lots of cash into a business or real estate property hoping it will make money later. Anything speculative is based on prediction: whatever it is hasn't happened yet.
Vocabulary lists containing speculative
Grade 9, List 1
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act V
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And Then There Were None
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Traders continued to ramp up bearish bets against the Japanese yen, with speculative short exposure reaching fresh extremes,” the market analyst says, citing the latest Commitments of Traders positioning data from the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
SpaceX has said it will use the money to "fuel its growth strategy" around rockets, satellites for its growing Starlink internet service, and AI, including speculative plans to build data centres in orbit.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
More recently, the speculative focus has moved toward chip stocks.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
Despite the optimism of industry leaders, quantum computing remains a highly speculative investment.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Murky, speculative stuff, a smear campaign on a dead woman.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
