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speculative
in a sentence
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speculative as in:  a speculative look or mind

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  • •
    She looked speculative for a few seconds and then made her decision.
    speculative = deep in thought
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    Although there may be some truth in both hypotheses, this sort of posthumous off-the-rack psychoanalysis is a dubious, highly speculative enterprise that inevitably demeans and trivializes the absent analysand.  (source)
    speculative = uncertain
  • •
    Before there had always been his polite capping of remarks like this: "Yes, they do, that's what they call it"—but today he glanced speculatively at me and said nothing.  (source)
    speculatively = with curiosity or interest
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Show 10 more with 4 word variations
  • •
    Kynes directed a speculative look at Jessica, gave a subtle hand signal to Tuek.  (source)
    speculative = showing curiosity
  • •
    His eye rested speculatively on Mr. Justice Wargrave.  (source)
    speculatively = with curiosity or interest
  • •
    She obeyed the signal to wait for him with unspeculative repose, and in a few minutes man and horse stopped beside her.†  (source)
    unspeculative = not inclined to be curious or to think deeply
    standard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unspeculative means not and reverses the meaning of speculative. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
  • •
    Martin sank or rose to Clif's buoyancy, while Clif rose or sank to Martin's speculativeness.  (source)
    speculativeness = deep thoughtfulness
    standard suffix: The suffix "-ness" converts an adjective to a noun that means the quality of. This is the same pattern you see in words like darkness, kindness, and coolness.
  • •
    The search for new weapons continues unceasingly, and is one of the very few remaining activities in which the inventive or speculative type of mind can find any outlet.  (source)
    speculative = curious or deep-thinking
  • •
    She looked at him speculatively.†  (source)
    speculatively = showing, engaged in, or having a tendency of curiosity or deep thought
  • •
    Under such circumstances, there are many among its myriads of souls who have absolutely needed an emphatic belief, life in this unpleasurable shape demanding some solution even to unspeculative minds,—just as you inquire into the stuffing of your couch when anything galls you there, whereas eider-down and perfect French springs excite no question.†  (source)
    unspeculative = not inclined to be curious or to think deeply
  • •
    Rhett watched the train until it was out of sight and on his face there was a look of speculative bitterness that was not pleasant.  (source)
    speculative = thoughtful
  • •
    The fact that he had been searching for traces of a hotshot writer named Paul Sheldon was reported, but Kushner's disappearance had not been linked, even speculatively, with Paul's own.†  (source)
    speculatively = showing, engaged in, or having a tendency of curiosity or deep thought
  • •
    He had no longer free energy enough for spontaneous research and speculative thinking, but by the bedside of patients, the direct external calls on his judgment and sympathies brought the added impulse needed to draw him out of himself.  (source)
    speculative = arising from curiosity rather than need
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speculative as in:  a speculative theory

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  • •
    Stephen Hawking said, "I'd rather be right than rigorous," as he transitioned to becoming more speculative in his thinking rather than insisting on mathematical proofs.
    speculative = based on unproven thought or theory
  • •
    Kant wanted to put an end to purely speculative theories of human experience without resorting to the skepticism of Hume.
    speculative = unprovable
  • •
    In the class of science fiction that is called speculative fiction, the author accepts something as true without proof that it could be (such as a new technology in the future), but tries to make the characters react in a natural way under the changed circumstances.
    speculative = based on thought or theory that is unproven
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  • •
    There are yet, even at this day, many speculative objections to this theory.†  (source)
    speculative = based on thought or theory that is unproven
  • •
    Once out of the lobby, I ducked into the doorway of the florist next door to check my messages and text Kitsey before heading downtown, just in case; if she was just getting out of her movie, I could meet her for dinner and a drink (alone, without the girlfriends: the weirdness of the incident seemed to call for it) and —definitely —a speculative and humorous talk on the behavior of Em.  (source)
    speculative = based on uncertain thought
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    My particular province is speculative philosophy.  (source)
    speculative = based on thought that is not provable
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    Morris had a speculative idea that she had a little property; but he naturally did not press this.  (source)
    speculative = an unproven thought
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    Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate, But certain issue strokes must arbitrate. Towards which advance the war.  (source)
    speculative = unproven
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speculative as in:  a speculative venture

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    She's too old to invest in speculative business enterprises.
    speculative = risky
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    The country's bonds were downgraded to speculative non-investment grade, so I found myself with junk bonds in my retirement account.
    speculative = risky investment
  • •
    And, if you remember, Hammond's plan was extremely speculative.  (source)
    speculative = without certainty of working and making money
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  • •
    It was a speculative venture to call on the Rieslings; interesting and sometimes disconcerting.  (source)
    speculative = with much uncertainty
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    Consider the wastes incidental to the blind and haphazard production of commodities—the factories closed, the workers idle, the goods spoiling in storage; consider the activities of the stock manipulator, the paralyzing of whole industries, the overstimulation of others, for speculative purposes; the assignments and bank failures, the crises and panics, the deserted towns and the starving populations!  (source)
    speculative = to make money
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    It is worthy of remark that a certain speculative writer of quasi-scientific repute, writing long before the Martian invasion, did forecast for man a final structure not unlike the actual Martian condition.  (source)
    speculative = without certainty of payment
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    Probably, as with persons playing whist for love, the consciousness of a certain immunity under any circumstances from that worst possible ultimate, the having to pay, makes them unduly speculative.  (source)
    speculative = risk-taking
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    And although Hammond spoke confidently of seven billion dollars in annual revenues by 1993, his project was intensely speculative.  (source)
    speculative = without certainty of working and making money
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    The room displayed a modest and pleasant color-scheme, after one of the best standard designs of the decorator who "did the interiors" for most of the speculative-builders' houses in Zenith.  (source)
    speculative = without certainty of payment
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    Yet his eventual importance to mankind was perhaps lessened by his large and complacent ignorance of all architecture save the types of houses turned out by speculative builders; all landscape gardening save the use of curving roads, grass, and six ordinary shrubs; and all the commonest axioms of economics.  (source)
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    Babbitt was an official delegate; another was Cecil Rountree, whom Babbitt admired for his picaresque speculative building, and hated for his social position, for being present at the smartest dances on Royal Ridge.  (source)
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