speculative
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
based on guessing or theories rather than on facts that you can prove.
involving or based on conjecture rather than established facts or firm evidence.
Simple“The news report was purely speculative because the police had not released any details yet.”
In context“The scientist admitted that her conclusions were largely speculative, as the current data set was too small to support a definitive theory.”
UsageOften used to describe theories, news reports, or conclusions that lack evidence.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
done in the hope of making a large profit but with a high risk of losing money.
pertaining to financial or commercial ventures involving high risk and the potential for significant fluctuation in value.
Simple“He lost a lot of money on speculative investments in the tech market.”
In context“The sudden collapse of the speculative housing bubble left many first-time buyers with properties worth less than their original loans.”
UsageCommonly modifies nouns like 'investment', 'bubble', 'venture', or 'trade'.
“Until then, their only shot on target was Mendy’s speculative shot from 30 yards.”
“Her lawyers also argued some evidence in the trial was too speculative and that evidence crucial to their own case was wrongfully excluded.”
Inherited from Middle English speculatyf, borrowed from Old French speculatif or directly from Late Latin speculativus, from Latin speculor.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.