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

Republicans in Congress often play an eager role in funding America’s defense, and Congress as a whole spends hundreds of billions each year to prepare for notional wars in the near and distant future. —Andrew L. Stigler, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2024

The results are based on the trading platform’s customer notional net percentage buy/sell behavior for stocks that comprise the S&P 500 sectors. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024

This is not a notional future war but a fight for the actual independence of a real neighbor of NATO fighting a real war against real aggression by a real dictator. —Andrew L. Stigler, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2024

During the operation, China’s military crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, a notional boundary that Taipei says demarcates areas of de facto control. —Costas Paris, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022

In this already raucous, cluttered space of arguments and over-full ashtrays — where housekeeping, per the title, is a notional concept — what’s one more? —Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023

With, perhaps, a shard of a chiffon scarf thrown over the shoulders for good measure — and a gold or silver carwash skirt, or at least notional skirt, belted atop, like a cancan dancer on her way to a board meeting. —Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023

Nando and Roberto, who trek eastwards towards Chile in search of help, may be the notional heroes, but the film is rather poignant in its resistance, against the conventional rules of screenwriting, to singling them out as such. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023

Answers to questions about the former president’s legal troubles March 20, 2023 In 2016, a Trump presidency was notional. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1