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 This is the notion, endlessly propagated online, that white populations in modern Western countries are being replaced by brown and Black alien populations, and that this replacement is a project — commonly attributed to Jews. — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 While workers in this field need to learn and remember a lot, teaching someone who is starting without preconceived notions can lead to more easily passing down the way of thinking for this work, Takami says. — Hiroshige Yazawa Japan News, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026 Regardless, almost everyone aligns on the notion that Oakland’s downtown is struggling, despite the lack of publicly available data tracking foreclosures. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 19 July 2026 The notion, as echoed by objecting soccer fans, was that corporate and political interests were interfering with the integrity of the match. — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for notion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for notion

Noun

The report mentions that about half of Gen Z and millennial consumers who buy CDs do not own a CD player, showing that compact discs are now affordable novelties to some.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
Yet the Village People’s hits endured in a way few other disco novelties could, forever blasted out at weddings and occasionally ill-fitting public events.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026

Definition of novelties

Noun

Prior to cinemas or concert halls, traveling poets would entertain crowds with tall tales of the Trojan War, its flawed heroes, the whims and meddling of the gods, and Odysseus’s perilous journey home.

— Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
By their very nature, pop-ups are fluid and subject to the whims of weather.

— Sam Flemming, AJC.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of whim

Noun

For many Colombians, the attack on Uribe Turbay shattered the belief that the country had largely left behind the era when presidential candidates routinely became targets of political violence.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
As the league emerges from this summer of soccer, however, there is a strong belief that missing the immediate moment shouldn’t mean missing the bigger picture.

— Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of belief

Noun

Instead, adopt an integration plan customized for the leader, apply the concepts of optimal distinctiveness and monitor and adjust as necessary.

— Liz Guthridge, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
The fast-casual concept, known for serving authentic Greek fare, will debut at the Sadler Square shopping center in Davidson on Monday, July 20.

— Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026

Definition of concept

Noun

Partnerships That Last Stapp has seen enough cross-sector partnerships announced with fanfare and wound down within a year to have strong opinions about what separates the two outcomes.

— Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Coaches and personnel staffers spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer their honest opinions on the players.

— Antonio Morales, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of opinion

Noun

Now thoughts turn to whether the final might see the torch passed to Spain’s 19-year-old phenomenon Lamine Yamal, which would be all the more poignant given the extraordinary circumstances of their only previous meeting.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 19 July 2026
The thought of another dead calf is daunting, and can derail a budget for months.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026

Definition of thought

Noun

Still, the booze cruise stereotype persists, and mainstream cruise lines working on changing that, starting with tougher policies.

— David Dickstein, Oc Register, 15 July 2026
Children’s literature can humanize Black people in a way that news coverage, television, films and school textbooks and curriculum often do not, helping to combat racial bias and stereotypes.

— Brooke Harris Garad, The Conversation, 14 July 2026

Definition of stereotype

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noting

notion

notional

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“Notion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notion. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of notion

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