conjectural

/kənˈdʒektʃərəl/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈdʒektʃərəl/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈjek-chə-rəl -ˈjek-shrəl/ (ame, mw)

conjectural — adjective

  • conjecturalpositive
  • more conjecturalcomparative
  • most conjecturalsuperlative

1. formed by guessing from limited clues rather than supported by solid evidence or

1.形容詞C1
釋義

formed by guessing from limited clues rather than supported by solid evidence or confirmed facts.

例句

Elena warned the jury that the witness's account was largely conjectural and lacked any documentation.

predicative use after a linking verb: 'be largely conjectural'

Most early ideas about life on distant planets were conjectural until telescopes improved.

common collocation: 'conjectural until [evidence emerges]'

同義詞
  • speculative

    near-equivalent; slightly more common and slightly less formal

  • hypothetical

    stresses that something is proposed for discussion, not necessarily lacking evidence

  • tentative

    weaker; suggests provisional or uncertain rather than guessed at

反義詞

用法筆記

Most often used predicatively after 'be' or 'remain' to label a claim as unsupported (e.g. 'is conjectural', 'remains conjectural'). Common in academic, legal, and scientific writing where the speaker wants to flag a statement as not yet proven.

常見錯誤

❌I am conjectural about the answer.
✅My answer is conjectural.
💡the adjective describes the claim or idea, not the person making it.
❌That story is too conjectural to be true.
✅That story is too speculative to be true.
💡'conjectural' marks something as unproven, not as false; use 'speculative' or 'unlikely' for doubting truth.