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 Questions of authenticity almost always stem from notions of gatekeeping. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026 The attorney general pushed back on the notion that Talarico is a moderate during a San Antonio campaign stop. — Eleanor Dearman updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 Brittany Howard, the band’s lead singer and charismatic frontwoman, has spent much of the past decade refuting that notion. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026 As an example, Gur pointed to new notions of mathematical proof that emerged from complexity theory in the 1980s and 1990s. — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 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

Just as a market will theoretically arrive at the optimal price for a good that reflects the interests of many agents, trading in predictions could distill research, observation, and belief into actionable odds.

— Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
It's rooted in our belief that, regardless of where Corning shares are coming from, regaining upside momentum will be extremely difficult in the near-term.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 1 Sep. 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

In an unsigned opinion, a majority of the justices said the administration is likely to win its argument that the group suing to stop construction cannot show its been sufficiently harmed.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Capricorn December 22 – January 19 Someone close to you may arrive with urgency, opinions, and absolutely no interest in waiting.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 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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Style

“Notion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notion. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of notion

noun

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