notion

noun

no·tion | \ ˈnō-shən

Definition of notion

1a(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 Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about notion

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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

Any notion of brain change or growth was dismissed as science fiction. — Samantha Boardman, Marie Claire, "Can People Really Change?," 26 Mar. 2019 For the vast majority of trans women, FFS is not an attainable reality; in performing FFS procedures, surgeons are upholding an idealized notion of feminine beauty, but making it accessible only to a few. — Serena Daniari, Allure, "The Complicated Process of Undergoing Facial-Feminization Surgery, and Why I Did It," 23 Mar. 2019 Looking over 4 and a half miles (7,500 meters) below the surface, the scientists found fish that do not adhere to any preconceived notions of what deep sea fish should look like. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Discover Trippy New Translucent Fish at the Bottom of the Ocean," 10 Sep. 2018 And Yale President Peter Salovey stressed that any notions that universities reap the benefits of public funding while failing to reinvest it in society are a misconception. — Alia Wong, The Atlantic, "Should America’s Universities Stop Taking So Many International Students?," 28 June 2018 These statistics refute any notion of true crime as escapist fare. — Megan Abbott, latimes.com, "Why do we — women in particular — love true crime books?," 14 June 2018 On the stand, Stephenson responded that the point was to shoot down any notion that AT&T could win by limiting the spread of Time Warner’s content, as the government was suggesting. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "AT&T, Time Warner, and the Future of TV in the Mobile Era," 13 June 2018 With that in mind, a look at the contenders: Houston: Setting aside any notion of foresight, the Rockets traded for Chris Paul last summer with hopes for immediate reward. — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, "Who will challenge the Warriors next season? Let the LeBron free agency watch begin," 9 June 2018 In the context of this particular book, the request to avoid judgment seems pointed, because many people are likely to go into it with preconceived notions about Agrawal—good and bad. — Eliza Brooke, Glamour, "Is the World Ready for Miki Agrawal and Her Next Big Idea?," 4 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'notion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.