notion

noun

no·​tion ˈnō-shən 

1

a(1)

: an individual's conception or impression of something known, experienced, or imagined

They had different notions of right and wrong.

(2)

: an inclusive general concept

… arriving at the notion of law …

—Irving Babbitt

(3)

: a theory or belief held by a person or group

the notion of original sin

b

: a personal inclination : whim

He had a notion to try skydiving.

2

obsolete : mind, intellect

3

notions plural : small useful items : sundries

found the thread she wanted among the shop's notions

Synonyms of notion

• novelties

Choose the Right Synonym for notion

idea, concept, conception, thought, notion, impression mean what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan).

idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed.

innovative ideas

my idea of paradise

concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be.

a society with no concept of private property

conception is often interchangeable with concept; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result.

our changing conception of what constitutes art

thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining.

commit your thoughts to paper

notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental.

you have the oddest notions

impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses.

the first impression is of soaring height

Examples of notion in a Sentence

He has some pretty strange notions.

She had a vague notion about what happened.

The study disproves any notion that dolphins are not intelligent.

She had a notion to try skydiving.

a sewing shop that sells fabrics, books, tools, and notions

Recent Examples on the Web

Some progressive members of the Illinois delegation pushed back on the notion that the results of the midterms were more of a rejection of Trump than an embrace of Democrats and their policies. — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

That brought closer to reality the once-unthinkable notion that the ANC that led South Africa out of the white minority rule of apartheid and delivered freedom in 1994 under Mandela might one day not be its biggest party. — Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026

This notion of the image as a tool to influence our thinking found perhaps its most profound expression in the late 1960s, when Stewart Brand lobbied NASA to release the first photographs of the whole Earth seen from space. — Andrew Zuckerman, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2026

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images As a post-midterm rally Wednesday turned into a steep sell-off Thursday, tech executives sought to look through the notion that potential data center constraints could be catastrophic for their businesses. — Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin notion-, notio, from noscere

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(2)

Phrases Containing notion

• not have the faintest idea/notion

Rhymes for notion

• lotion
• ocean
• potion
• commotion
• demotion
• devotion
• emotion
• laotian
• promotion
• locomotion

Kids Definition

notion

noun

no·​tion ˈnō-shən 

1

a

: idea sense 2, conception

have a notion of a poem's meaning

b

: a belief held : opinion

c

: a sudden wish or desire : whim

just had a notion to go home

2

plural : small useful articles (as pins, needles, or thread)