SPECULATIVE Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

speculative

adjective

ˈspe-kyə-lə-tiv

Definition of speculative

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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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.

Recent Examples of speculative Dillman and his coconspirator used the funds to pay themselves and to make risky and speculative investments in other cryptocurrency ventures, authorities said, citing other evidence presented at the trial. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026 In-hand images aren’t yet available, but the pair is expected to resemble the speculative mock-up featured here. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026 Carrick and his coaching staff will hope to refine Baleba’s long passing, encouraging him to hit more switch passes to wingers such as Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, while reducing his tendency to hit speculative up-and-under punts into open space. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Towers said critics like Terplan and Jones were not in a position to know what was happening in the clinic or with his research, and their criticisms are purely speculative. — Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speculative

Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculative

Adjective

Then, in a famous 1937 paper, the mathematician Alan Turing devised a model based on hypothetical machines that could read and write symbols printed on an infinite tape according to a set of simple rules.

— Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
Shirley said the bill set a bad precedent, giving a hypothetical scenario of someone hiring a third party to commit violence in order to pin the blame on him.

— Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hypothetical

Adjective

David Sloan is a theoretical physicist at Lancaster University and the Chief Scientific Officer of the Foundational Questions Institute.

— Big Think, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2026
Far from being a theoretical threat, at least one active attack is already exploiting the mixup.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of theoretical

Browse Nearby Words

speculations

speculative

speculator

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“Speculative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculative. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of speculative

adjective

Example Sentences

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