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Given to speculation; contemplative. The mind of man being by nature speculative. Hooker.

Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative; - - opposed to Ant: speculative or Ant: theoretical; as, an active rather than a speculative statesman.

ality; really acted or acting; in fact; real; -- opposed to potential, possible, virtual, speculative, coceivable, theoretical, or nominal; as, the actual cost of goods; the actual case under discussion.

A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account. A bill of adventure (Com.), a writing setting forth that the goods shipped are at the owner's risk.

end; method of doing well some special work; -- often contradistinguished from science or speculative principles; as, the art of building or engraving; the art of war; the art of navigation. Science is systematized knowledge . . . Art is knowledge made efficient by skill. J. F. Genung.

The act of marking, or of ascertaining and setting a limit; separation; distinction. The speculative line of demarcation, where obedience ought to end and resistance must begin, is faint, obscure, and not easily definable. Burke.

narrative, and the supernatural origin of its teachings, sometimes called historical and speculative faith.

prehension; familiar cognizance; cognition. Knowledge, which is the highest degree of the speculative faculties, consists in the perception of the truth of affirmative or negative propositions. Locke.

ure him from loss on contracts entered into by him on behalf of his principial, as in the speculative buying and selling of stocks, wheat, etc. N. Biddle. Margin draft (Masonry), a smooth cut margin on the face of hammer-dressed ashlar, adjacent to the joints. -- Margin of a course (Arch.), that part of a course, as o…

Existing in idea only; visionary; whimsical. Discourses of speculative and notional things. Evelyn.

To deal in stocks or any commodity with a view to speculative profits. [Brokers' Cant]

pain and sickness caused by manna are the effects of its operation on the stomach. Locke. Speculative painting, without the assistance of manual operation, can never attain to perfection. Dryden.

A dealer in stocks or any commodity for speculative purposes; a speculator. [Brokers' Cant]

To combine or contribute with others, as for a commercial, speculative, or gambling transaction.

ition, qualification, or discretion; not dependent on circumstances or probabilities; not speculative; compelling assent or obedience; peremptory; indisputable; decisive; as, positive instructions; positive truth; positive proof. "'T is positive 'gainst all exceptions." Shak.

Speculatory; speculative. [Obs.]

Exercising speculation; speculative. T. Carew.

gy as taught by the scholastics, or as prosecuted after their principles and methods. -- Speculative theology, theology as founded upon, or influenced by, speculation or metaphysical philosophy. -- Systematic theology, that branch of theology of which the aim is to reduce all revealed truth to a series of statements…

Pertaining to theory; depending on, or confined to, theory or speculation; speculative; terminating in theory or speculation: not practical; as, theoretical learning; theoretic sciences. -- The`o*ret"ic*al*ly, adv.

The speculative part of a science; speculation. At the very first, with our Lord himself, and his apostles, as represented to us in the New Testament, morals come before contemplation, ethics before theoretics. H. B. Wilson.