conjectural

adjective

con·​jec·​tur·​al kən-ˈjek-chə-rəl How to pronounce conjectural (audio)
-ˈjek-shrəl
1
: of the nature of or involving or based on conjecture
Without evidence, his conclusions are only conjectural.
2
: given to conjectures
… a conjectural critic …Samuel Johnson
conjecturally adverb

Examples of conjectural in a Sentence

a necessarily conjectural account of Shakespeare's life, since there is so little hard information
Recent Examples on the Web But the possible consequences of an Iranian nuclear capability are largely conjectural (save for one: nobody would think of invading Iran anymore). Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 7 Sep. 2010 That statistic is somewhat conjectural, since the vast majority of rapes in India are apparently not reported. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023 The change in perspective — from adolescent to academic — allows Knausgaard to expand the novel’s philosophical ambit to encompass evolution, the conjectural sentience of trees and the narrow scope of human comprehension. Charles Arrowsmith, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023 Who has Scooter Braun managed? Without confirmation from artists, their teams, or Braun himself, changes to Braun’s roster are conjectural. Massimo Marioni, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for conjectural 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conjectural.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see conjecture entry 1

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conjectural was in 1553

Dictionary Entries Near conjectural

Cite this Entry

“Conjectural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conjectural. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

conjectural

adjective
con·​jec·​tur·​al kən-ˈjek-chə-rəl How to pronounce conjectural (audio)
-ˈjeksh-rəl
: being, involving, or based on conjecture
a conjectural interpretation
conjecturally
-rə-lē
adverb
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