notional
adjective
no·tion·al
ˈnō-sh(ə-)nəl 
1
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
Synonyms of notional
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
The Bank for International Settlements reported notional OTC derivatives hit $846 trillion as of June 2025, a 16% year-over-year increase, the steepest since 2008.
—
Ivan Kan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Since Qualcomm’s short position peaked in notional terms on May 12, the number of shares sold short has edged higher while the stock price has retreated, S3 data showed.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 20 May 2026
That notional system features four interceptor layers, one of which is space-based.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 13 May 2026
Their new simulation method models notional dark matter interactions with particles called baryons—that is, mainly protons and neutrons—in and around a Milky Way–scale galaxy.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for notional
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ivan Kan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Since Qualcomm’s short position peaked in notional terms on May 12, the number of shares sold short has edged higher while the stock price has retreated, S3 data showed.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 20 May 2026
That notional system features four interceptor layers, one of which is space-based.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 13 May 2026
Their new simulation method models notional dark matter interactions with particles called baryons—that is, mainly protons and neutrons—in and around a Milky Way–scale galaxy.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for notional
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notional. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
