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
- antispeculative adjective
- antispeculatively adverb
- antispeculativeness noun
- hyperspeculative adjective
- hyperspeculatively adverb
- hyperspeculativeness noun
- nonspeculative adjective
- nonspeculatively adverb
- nonspeculativeness noun
- overspeculative adjective
- overspeculatively adverb
- overspeculativeness noun
- semispeculative adjective
- semispeculatively adverb
- semispeculativeness noun
- speculatively adverb
- speculativeness noun
- unspeculative adjective
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.
Newly discovered gold mines, he explained, go public, attracting speculative investors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
Scotland retook the lead early in the second half after Wales' backline failed to gather a speculative Nelson kick, with Campbell taking full advantage on her first Scotland appearance since 2022.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
Gold is a bit trickier than copper since it’s more of a speculative bet and is not tied to industrial demand the way that copper is.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
However, this speculative process can lead to selling in shares of companies that don’t end up getting chosen.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
To generate profits, Bear Stearns, like every other Wall Street firm, was perching more and more speculative bets on top of each dollar of its capital.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
