NOTION Synonyms: 146 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'notion' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of notion are conception , concept , idea , impression , and thought . While all these words mean "what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan)," notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental. // you have the oddest notions

Q: When is 'concept' a more appropriate choice than 'notion'?

The words concept and notion can be used in similar contexts, but 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

Q: How do 'conception' and 'concept' relate to one another, in the sense of 'notion'?

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

Q: When might 'idea' be a better fit than 'notion'?

While in some cases nearly identical to notion , 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

Q: Where would 'impression' be a reasonable alternative to 'notion'?

The words impression and notion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses. // the first impression is of soaring height

Q: When can 'thought' be used instead of 'notion'?

In some situations, the words thought and notion are roughly equivalent. However, thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining. // commit your thoughts to paper

notion

noun

ˈnō-shən

Definition of notion

as in novelties

notions plural small useful items the fabric store had a wide variety of thread, pins, buttons, and other notions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in whim

a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action I have a notion to go in-line skating this afternoon

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in belief

an idea that is believed to be true or valid without positive knowledge has this naive notion that most people are basically honest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fact
truth

as in idea

something imagined or pictured in the mind that modernistic building does not match my notion of what a country cottage should look like

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in concept

an idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation the popular notion that college athletes are airheads

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun notion contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of notion are conception, concept, idea, impression, and thought. While all these words mean "what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan)," notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental.

you have the oddest notions

When is concept a more appropriate choice than notion?

The words concept and notion can be used in similar contexts, but 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

How do conception and concept relate to one another, in the sense of notion?

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

When might idea be a better fit than notion?

While in some cases nearly identical to notion, 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

Where would impression be a reasonable alternative to notion?

The words impression and notion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses.

the first impression is of soaring height

When can thought be used instead of notion?

In some situations, the words thought and notion are roughly equivalent. However, thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining.

commit your thoughts to paper

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of notion His desire for purpose in life is deeply informed by a notion that the nation still harbors opportunities for freedom. — Christopher Coffman, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026 By 2004, that barren spell had stretched to a staggering 86 years, reinforcing the idea that Boston was somehow cursed - a notion that had become part of baseball folklore. — Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026 The whole notion of, OK, building the data center to do what? — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 The president scoffed at the notion that anyone named may suffer consequences, even though Mexico is one of the world’s most hazardous countries for journalists. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for notion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for notion

Noun

Other novelties included Kiss Kiss, reinvented in 2005 with Hervé Can der Straeten, and Rouge G, reinvented with Lorenz Bäumer featuring the famed double-mirror case.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026
What seemed like a low barrier for starting a company and finding investors — spurring viral storylines around 19-year-old blockchain CEOs and other such novelties — has given way to a high sense of precarity for people entering today’s arena.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of novelties

Noun

Telling the world every thought and creative whim built him a following.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
But an outdoor garden, no matter how beautiful and lovingly designed or how innovatively used in the menu, is susceptible to the whims of Miami’s humid, rainy, extraordinarily lengthy summers.

— Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of whim

Noun

Contrary to popular belief, good skin care doesn’t require you to blow through your entire beauty maintenance budget.

— Essence Wiley, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026
The attention Everytime received in Cannes – and now the jury’s confidence in the film – reinforce our belief that cinema needs distinctive voices with the courage to follow their own form and, precisely by doing so, reach audiences across borders.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of belief

Noun

While the concept was conceived decades ago, a public demonstration of a system that does not rely on GPS signals or any other special installation infrastructure has not been achieved till now.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
The Fish Market is a seafood spot with a sea-to-table concept—guests can select their own seafood, which is then cooked with Maldivian flavors and ingredients.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of concept

Noun

The family explored private healthcare for another opinion, but the first consultation didn’t go to plan.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
The ruling Thursday said the newspaper did not have sufficient cause to terminate Karen Attiah, who at the time was the last Black full-time member of the Post’s opinion desk.

— Corey Williams, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of opinion

Noun

Davis shared her thoughts alongside a side-by-side comparison of the costume with 19th-century minstrel imagery, which perpetuated racist stereotypes about Black Americans and involved the use of blackface.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026
Some of the companies illustrating this point hardly fit the stereotype of progressive corporate activism.

— Scott M. Curran, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of stereotype

Browse Nearby Words

noting

notion

notional

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“Notion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notion. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of notion

noun

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