speculatively en · ADV
Etymology
Etymology tree English speculative Middle English -ly English -ly English speculatively From speculative + -ly.
Meanings
-
In a speculative manner.
[…] he will appear to many of the more speculatively minded intellectuals merely as a timid apologist of things as they are; at the same time he will be dismissed by the men of affairs as an impractical theorist.
1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 430:The fleet had been ordered speculatively by Beacon Rail, and intended as heavy shunting and trip locomotives, as well as a viable low-emission replacement for the elderly Class 08/09 'BR Standard large shunter' which dates from the 1950s and 1960s.
2025 October 1, “News: Romic offers all 15 Class 18 hybrid shunters for sale”, in RAIL, number 1045, page 13:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most speculatively | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more speculatively | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Translations (4)
fi spekulatiivisesti (in a speculative manner) · ca especulativament (in a speculative manner) · fr spéculativement (in a speculative manner) · es especulativamente (in a speculative manner)