on spec
idiom
1
: without having a definite buyer or customer but with the hope or expectation of finding one when work is completed
He built the house on spec.
She wrote the script on spec.
2
chiefly British
: without being sure of success but with the hope of success
He wrote to the company on spec, hoping for a job.
Examples of on spec in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The houses would be built on spec in three general styles or can be customized.
—
Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2024
The house was built on spec — that is, without a particular buyer in mind — by Branden and Rayni Williams, a real estate power couple whose client list reads like a string of TMZ news alerts: Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Willis and Jane Fonda, to name a few.
—Debra Kamin, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
Photo : Burgess Yachts Six Years in Build The hull was built on spec in 1989 by Perini Navi and sat for 10 years waiting for the right owner.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 23 Feb. 2024
One hull was sold to a European client, while the other was built on spec with the American market in mind.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Nov. 2023
And the only way to have a script is to write one on spec.
—Alex Convery, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023
Tucked away behind a gated driveway in the far western reaches of Malibu, across Pacific Coast Highway from County Line Beach in what’s technically considered Ventura County, the modern home was built on spec by Kris Halliday of MKH Developments in 2022.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2023
For all the Hollywood success stories — writers who get big feature films made or develop popular TV shows — many more live a day-to-day struggle of writing on spec, selling pilots that never get made and taking meetings that go nowhere.
—Erica Werner, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023
Venture capitalists have poured billions of dollars into AI start-ups on spec, while in earnings calls over the past two weeks, tech CEOs have cited AI as a key growth area.
—Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2023
Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2024
The house was built on spec — that is, without a particular buyer in mind — by Branden and Rayni Williams, a real estate power couple whose client list reads like a string of TMZ news alerts: Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Willis and Jane Fonda, to name a few.
—Debra Kamin, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
Photo : Burgess Yachts Six Years in Build The hull was built on spec in 1989 by Perini Navi and sat for 10 years waiting for the right owner.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 23 Feb. 2024
One hull was sold to a European client, while the other was built on spec with the American market in mind.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Nov. 2023
And the only way to have a script is to write one on spec.
—Alex Convery, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023
Tucked away behind a gated driveway in the far western reaches of Malibu, across Pacific Coast Highway from County Line Beach in what’s technically considered Ventura County, the modern home was built on spec by Kris Halliday of MKH Developments in 2022.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2023
For all the Hollywood success stories — writers who get big feature films made or develop popular TV shows — many more live a day-to-day struggle of writing on spec, selling pilots that never get made and taking meetings that go nowhere.
—Erica Werner, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023
Venture capitalists have poured billions of dollars into AI start-ups on spec, while in earnings calls over the past two weeks, tech CEOs have cited AI as a key growth area.
—Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on spec.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near on spec
Cite this Entry
“On spec.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20spec. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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