speculativeadj/ˈspɛkjuləˌtɪv/

• 1

  Characterized by speculation; based on guessing, unfounded opinions, or extrapolation.

  • Like The Handmaid's Tale, Oryx and Crake is a speculative fiction, not a science fiction proper.
  • When not inaccurate, much commentary on the contents of Hobson-Jobson is couched in hedges or relies on speculative estimates in the absence of exact information.
• 2

  Pursued as a gamble, with possible large profits or losses; risky.

  • Tranquillo Barnetta was the grateful beneficiary of uncertain England defending and poor goalkeeping from Joe Hart as he twice saw speculative free-kicks end in the back of the net in the first half.
  • Little seemed on when Sánchez cut in from the left and sent a speculative low shot through a crowd of players, but though Federici had it covered he could not hold on to the ball and it squirmed over the line through his legs.
• 3

  Pertaining to financial speculation; Involving or resulting from high-risk investments or trade.

  • "Don't dare laugh at us!" smiled his sister. "I wish we were back in Tenth Street. But so many children came[…]and the Tenth Street house wasn't half big enough; and a dreadful speculative builder built this house and persuaded Austin to buy it. Oh, dear, and here we are among the rich and great; and the steel kings and copper kings and oil kings and their heirs and dauphins. Do you like the house?"
  • In other words, it is critical to know whether a currency is under high speculative pressure for every month in the sample.