notional

adjective

no·​tion·​al ˈnō-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

: theoretical, speculative

2

: existing in the mind only : imaginary

3

: given to foolish or fanciful moods or ideas

4

a

: of, relating to, or being a notion or idea : conceptual

b(1)

: presenting an idea of a thing, action, or quality

has is notional in he has luck, relational in he has gone

(2)

: of or representing what exists or occurs in the world of things as distinguished from syntactic categories

notionality

ˌnō-shə-ˈna-lə-tē 

noun

notionally

ˈnō-sh(ə-)nə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• abstract
• conceptual
• ideal
• ideational
• metaphysical
• theoretical
• theoretic

Examples of notional in a Sentence

The notional earnings of the company were close to the actual ones.

she has a notional understanding of romantic love but no actual experience of being in love

Recent Examples on the Web

Also at the end of the first quarter, Tepper owned put options with a notional value of $2.5 billion against the SPDR S & P 500 Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF (SPYX), the filing revealed. —Yun Li, CNBC, 16 May 2025

Furthermore, these cosmic close calls might be best understood using concepts derived from string theory—a notional theory of everything that posits that all of nature is fundamentally composed of countless, wriggling subatomic strings. —Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 13 May 2025

Those plans remain notional, but France and Britain want to have detailed options for European participation, while also insisting that the United States provide key elements like air cover, without troops on the ground. —Steven Erlanger, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025

This date is also supported by a notice to mariners, but it should be taken as notional rather than something to be confident in. —ArsTechnica, 9 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for notional

• motional
• devotional
• emotional
• promotional
• unemotional