speculative
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to, of the nature of, or characterized by speculation, contemplation, conjecture, or abstract reasoning.
a speculative approach.
-
theoretical, rather than practical.
speculative conclusions.
-
given to speculation, as persons, the mind, etc.
-
of the nature of or involving commercial or financial speculation.
speculative ventures.
-
engaging in or given to such speculation.
adjective
Other Word Forms
-
antispeculativeadjective
-
antispeculativelyadverb
-
antispeculativenessnoun
-
hyperspeculativeadjective
-
hyperspeculativelyadverb
-
hyperspeculativenessnoun
-
nonspeculativeadjective
-
nonspeculativelyadverb
-
nonspeculativenessnoun
-
overspeculativeadjective
-
overspeculativelyadverb
-
overspeculativenessnoun
-
semispeculativeadjective
-
semispeculativelyadverb
-
semispeculativenessnoun
-
speculativelyadverb
-
speculativenessnoun
-
unspeculativeadjective
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act V
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
And Then There Were None
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Japanese officials had tried to cool speculative activity by threatening to intervene, even using meetings with U.S. officials to discuss potential joint action.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
By stripping away that maturity safety net, the ETF wrapper can leave investors with continuous exposure to interest-rate volatility and turn what’s designed to be an inflation shield into a more speculative market trade.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
But some of the week’s gains came in more speculative areas.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Chinese officials could be worried about speculative fervor, Michael Hirson and Houze Song, analysts at 22V Research, said in a note to clients.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
The Voyager spacecraft are the lineal descendants of those sailing-ship voyages of exploration, and of the scientific and speculative tradition of Christiaan Huygens.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
