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

One admittedly tiny study (again, science, more attention on this subject, please!) supports this notion. — Rachel Jacoby Zoldan, SELF, "14 Benefits of Female Masturbation and Why Every Woman Should Do It," 31 Dec. 2018 And this year, a new study presented evidence that dispels the notion that Neanderthals were big into skull cracking. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "7 bad science and health ideas that should die with 2018," 26 Dec. 2018 If this notion is realized, then KeyForge will become a common language for the gaming community writ large. — Charlie Theel, Ars Technica, "KeyForge: The red-hot card game where every deck is unique—and unchangeable," 15 Dec. 2018 However, Aura Bogado, an immigration reporter for investigative journalism site Reveal, challenged the notion that migrants are properly cared for in a thread on Twitter. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "7-Year-Old Jackeline Caal Died in Border Patrol Custody After Migrating From Guatemala," 14 Dec. 2018 Microbiologists in the Netherlands decided to test this notion by re-creating a primitive organism with a hybrid-lipid membrane. — Prachi Patel, Scientific American, "Engineered Microbe Shakes Up the Tree of Life," 13 July 2018 Even at the Parnassus that is Lung King Heen, that notion prevails. — Casey Quackenbush / Hong Kong, Time, "'We're Not Educated.' The Untold Story of Lung King Heen, the World's First Michelin Three-Star Chinese Restaurant," 12 July 2018 There’s a lot of sense in the notion that the best chance at getting him here long-term is to spend two months winning his heart and his mind. — David Murphy, Philly.com, "Second thoughts about the Phillies and Manny Machado | David Murphy," 11 July 2018 Such notions about the disadvantages of middleness are pervasive. — Adam Sternbergh, The Cut, "The Extinction of the Middle Child," 11 July 2018

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.