a. and sb. Also 5 speculatif, -ijf, -iff, -yff, 6 -ife, -yf(e, -yue, 6–7 -iue. [a. OF. speculatif, -ive (mod.F. spéculatif, -ive, = It. specul-, specolativo, Sp. and Pg. especulativo), or ad. late L. speculātīv-us, f. the ppl. stem of speculārī to SPECULATE.]
A. adj. 1. Of the nature of, based upon, characterized by, speculation or theory in contrast to practical or positive knowledge: a. Of knowledge.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 241. Þis cunnyng was not speculatif.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 277. They … confessed that the ordinarie pilottes and mariners ignorant in Cosmographi, are not to bee compared to men of speculatiue knowleage.
1585. Blagrave (title), The Mathematical Iewel,… Compiled and published for the furtherance, as well of Gentlemen and others desirous of speculatiue knowledge.
1612. Brinsley, Lud. Lit., xxi. (1627), 252. Other speculative or more curious knowledge in Quiddities.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Surv. Leviath. (1676), 117. From his speculative knowledge of man-kind.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. v. Wks. 1874, I. 103. A practical sense of things, very different from a mere speculative knowledge.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), V. ix. 124. She has a world of knowledge: knowledge speculative, as I may say, but no experience.
1850. C. Daubeny, Atom. The., i. (ed. 2), 4. One more proof of the benefits arising from experimental science, and of the unexpected advances in speculative knowledge.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. v. His knowledge of its affairs was mostly speculative and all wrong.
b. Of special sciences, or parts of these.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 15. Alle þese þingis … ben but techinge of medicyns [v.r. medycine] speculatijf.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., Pref. An arte of brawlyng whiche these men call Speculatiue Diuinitie.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., Annot., As for the diuision, Musicke is either speculatiue or practicall.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 344. Chrysippus … altered the Theoricke and speculatiue Physicke of Hippocrates and Prodicus, with all their principles.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., V. i. (1848), 296. The diligent Studies of Speculative and Polemical Divinity.
1730. Chamberlayne, Relig. Philos., Pref. p. xx. Euclid, Algebra, and other Speculative Parts of the Mathematicks.
1741. Watts, Improv. Mind (1801), 112. Endeavour to apply every speculative study, as far as possible, to some practical use.
1836–7. Sir W. Hamilton, Lect. Metaph. (1877), I. vii. 111. Theoretical, called likewise speculative, and contemplative, philosophy has for its highest end mere truth or knowledge.
1881. Froude, Short Stud. (1883), IV. II. i. 168. The speculative part of it [religion] was accepted because it was assumed to be true.
c. In general use.
a. 1483. Liber Niger, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 50. Men of worshipp, endowed with vertues, morall and speculatiff.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 31 b. As well in matters speculatyue as practyue.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 26. Many of these nice and fine points … serue rather for a speculatiue pleasure & admiration, then be of any vse in the art of physick or Chirurgery.
1677. Yarranton, Eng. Improv., Addr. Ld. Windsor. They have given the World sufficient Tests of the vast difference betwixt Speculative Notions and Practical Experiments.
1708. Swift, Sacram. Test, Wks. 1755, II. I. 127. The bare opinion of his being vicar of Christ is but a speculative point.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., III. xlvi. 24. The king’s despotism was more speculative than practical.
1812. Sir H. Davy, Chem. Philos., 17. The speculative ideas of the Arabians were more or less adopted by their European disciples.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., ii. I. 247. He … had a languid speculative liking for republican institutions.
1880. McCarthy, Own Times, xlv. III. 350. Even against speculative dangers a wise people will always take precautions.
2. Of persons: Given to speculation; inclined to theorize or indulge in conjectural reasoning.
c. 1546. G. Joye, in Gardiner, Declar. Joye (1546), 53. Euery speculatyue pharisay and idle hypocrite.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 218. If there bee any dyfference…, it canne not bee perceaued but by the iudgement of speculatiue men.
1609. J. Dowland, Ornith. Microl., 5. A Speculative Musitian excels the Practick.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys.-Mech. (1682), 123. To dwell upon all the several Reflexions, that a Speculative Wit might make.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 305, ¶ 8. Six Professors, who, it seems, are to be Speculative Statesmen.
1785. Reid, Intell. Powers, I. viii. 245. Why have speculative men laboured so anxiously to analyse our solitary operations?
1813. Sir H. Davy, Agric. Chem. (1814), 339. He is too speculative a writer to awaken confidence in his results.
1841. Helps, Ess., Pract. Wisd., 4. Many persons are considered speculative merely because they are of a searching nature.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xix. IV. 327. The only statesman, indeed, active or speculative, who did not share in the general delusion was Edmund Burke.
absol. 1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist., I. x. The various opinions that have employed the speculative upon this subject.
b. Similarly of the soul, mind, etc.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., *j. Ascend, and mount vp (with Speculatiue winges) in spirit.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, Wks. (Grosart), V. 300. The grossest kind of fire that … illumines my speculatiue soule.
1793. T. Beddoes, Math. Evid., 10. They seem to promise, to speculative minds, a sort of independance upon external things.
1809–10. Coleridge, Friend (1818), III. 81. A certain number of speculative minds is necessary to a cultivated state of society.
† c. Given to pry or search into something. Obs.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. iii. § 7. To be speculatiue into another man, to the end to know how to worke him,… proceedeth from a heart that is double. Ibid. (1612), Ess., Counsel (Arb.), 322. Councellors should not be too speculatiue into their Soueraignes person.
3. Of life, etc.: Spent in, devoted to, speculation.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 142. A trifold kinde of life, Actiue,… Speculatiue, which is continuall meditation and studie.
1643. Milton, Divorce, II. xix. Wks. 1851, IV. 115. Christ himselfe hath taught us … even for a bodily healing to dispence with that holy and speculative rest of Sabbath.
1670. Clarendon, Ess., Tracts (1727), 167. An active and practical condition of life, or a speculative repose.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 54. There was … no walk of speculative or of active life, in which Jesuits were not to be found.
4. Of faculties, etc.: Adapted for, exercised in, speculation († or vision).
1604. Shaks., Oth., I. iii. 271. When light wing’d Toyes Of feather’d Cupid, seele with wanton dulnesse My speculatiue, and offic’d Instrument. Ibid. (1605), Macb., V. iv. 19. Thoughts speculatiue, their vnsure hopes relate.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 408. That Perfect Happiness is a Speculative or Contemplative Energy, may be made manifest from hence.
1703. Atterbury, Serm. (1734), II. 126. The other, being a mere speculative Power, hath no Contrary in the Mind of Man to struggle with.
1860. Mill, Repr. Govt. (1865), 6/2. If any one requires to be convinced that speculative thought is one of the chief elements of social power.
1896. Dk. Argyll, Philos. Belief, 11. Our speculative faculties are altogether untrustworthy on such subjects.
† 5. Pertaining to vision; optical. Obs.
1656. Blount, Glossogy, Calopticks, professors of the Opticks, or art speculative.
6. Suitable for observation or watching; speculatory. Chiefly poet.
1709. Pope, Lett. (1735), I. 81. I have been inform’d, that you have left your speculative Angle in the Widow’s Coffee-house.
1782. Cowper, Jackdaw, 13. Fond of the speculative height, Thither he wings his airy flight. Ibid. (1784), Task, I. 289. Now roves the eye; And, posted on this speculative height, Exults in its command.
1821. Wordsw., Eclipse Sun, 1. High on her speculative tower Stood Science.
7. a. Of persons: Given to, or engaging in, commercial or financial speculation.
1763. Sir S. T. Janssen, Smuggling Laid Open, 28. Several Persons, who go under the Denomination of Speculative Buyers, purchase Teas there, meerly on an Expectation of the Price rising afterwards.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. x. (1869), I. 119. The speculative merchant exercises no one regular … business.
1799. Hull Advertiser, 6 Oct., 3/3. To keep down the price of corn which speculative men were trying to advance.
1813. Scott, Lett., in Lockhart (1837), III. ii. 107. Any rare printed book which a speculative bookseller might purchase with a view to re-publication.
b. Of the nature of, characterized by, or involving speculation.
1799. Hull Advertiser, 6 Oct., 3/3. Articles which ought … to be exempt from all speculative interest.
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., III. xxiv. § 2 (1876), 395. There are two states of the market, one which may be termed the quiescent state, the other the expectant or speculative state.
1879. H. George, Progr. & Pov., VIII. iii. (1881), 371. How speculative rent checks production.
1907. Standard, 19 Jan., 2/4. Heavy speculative transactions have been in progress in tin for weeks past.
c. Forming an object of speculation.
1890. Daily News, 30 Sept., 2/5. The market for speculative beetroot continues dull and prices to decline.
B. sb. † 1. As a book-title, = MIRROR sb. 4. Obs.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 63. Vincencius in his speculatif historialle, Of this saide monk makithe ful mencyoune.
2. † a. Speculation; hypothetical reasoning; theory. Obs.
After late L. speculātīva sb. So F. spéculative.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. 3578. For-dullid is myn ymagynatif, To deme in practik or in speculatif. Ibid. (1426), De Guil. Pilgr., 18575. For speculatyff … With-outen good experience Avaylith lytle or ellis nought.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, III. v. (1883), 119. The maistres of rethorique ben the chyef maistres in speculatyf.
a. 1500. in M. Cooke, Hist. Masonry (1861), 90. Of specculatyfe he was a master and he lovyd well masonry and masons.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 102. Such that haue practise and nought of speculatife.
† b. pl. Speculative matters; the speculative sciences. Obs.
1640. Sedgwick, Christ’s Counsell, 258. In speculatives be wise to sobriety, in practicals be as good as thou canst.
a. 1670. Rust, Disc. Truth (1682), 166. As indispensible are the mutual respects and relations of things both in Speculatives and Morals.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 416. He [Aristotle] concludes, that as the Speculative Sciences in General, are more Noble and Excellent than the other, so is Theology or Metaphysicks the most Honourable of all the Speculatives.
c. With the: That which rests only on speculation.
1877. Sparrow, Serm., xix. 254. When … we are compelled … to make a choice between the speculative and the practical we should give preference to the latter.
† 3. A speculator or speculatist. Obs.–1
a. 1638. Mede, Wks. (1672), 878. If it were in Latine, it would make some of your German Speculatives half wild.
