1
as in theoretical
dealing with or expressing a quality or idea
she has a notional understanding of romantic love but no actual experience of being in love
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
your computer's "visits" to various parts of cyberspace are entirely notional—you stay put and the Web pages come to you
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of notional
Hyperliquid generated approximately $962m in fees in 2025 on roughly $3tn in notional trading volume.
—
Bob Diamond, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
According to General Atomics, a notional mission profile envisions MQ-9B aircraft launching from friendly bases in the Western or Southern Pacific, transiting to designated hold points outside an adversary’s weapons engagement zone, and loitering there for extended periods.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 25 Feb. 2026
These challenges all place a premium on quiet peacetime coordination between Washington and Taipei to build alignment on notional military plans and war aims, procedures for escalation management and signaling to Beijing, and conditions for terminating a war.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
According to The Times, payment of the notional rent would only be enforced if Andrew failed to maintain the property's refurbishment.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
Bob Diamond, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
According to General Atomics, a notional mission profile envisions MQ-9B aircraft launching from friendly bases in the Western or Southern Pacific, transiting to designated hold points outside an adversary’s weapons engagement zone, and loitering there for extended periods.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 25 Feb. 2026
These challenges all place a premium on quiet peacetime coordination between Washington and Taipei to build alignment on notional military plans and war aims, procedures for escalation management and signaling to Beijing, and conditions for terminating a war.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
According to The Times, payment of the notional rent would only be enforced if Andrew failed to maintain the property's refurbishment.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notional
Adjective
-
Cherowbrier’s comparison between AI and the Internet regarding its impact on racing reflects how rapidly AI has moved from theoretical possibility to practical tool.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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The risk is not theoretical The dangers of hot, humid weather are not new to professional soccer players and tournament organizers, though the risks are getting more pronounced as the planet warms.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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Someone needs to tell both Salley and her extraneous E to get the hell off my imaginary husband.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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Katie Dippold shaped the show from its very beginnings by way of her passion for both horror and comedy, Hiro Murai is a quiet artist who carries a big imaginary stick.—
Stephen Root,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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Andrews has continued to work on TV, including Sinbad, as Jafar on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and on the Wachowskis’ metaphysical epic Sense8.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
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Huxley’s critique is clear; America mistakes body for spirit, promiscuously confusing the physical with the metaphysical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Adjective
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However, operators often hide behind fictitious or stolen identities and fail to comply with cease-and-desist letters; meanwhile, hosting servers are often untraceable, shielded by anonymization techniques or by being located in countries where legal enforcement is extremely difficult.—
Emma Woollacott,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
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He is charged with one count of unlawful voting by aliens and one count of the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under state law.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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The pieces are abstract but appear to show featureless human figures sitting atop globular, cloud-like shapes that float in the air.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
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These are not abstract concerns.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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Those crews worked on the Country Club Plaza, in a home in Lee’s Summit and around local soccer fields — all on the Missouri side, even though the fictional Coach Lasso hails from Kansas.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
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The show, which follows Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler moving to the fictional South Texas town of Rio Paloma, premiered May 15 and airs Fridays on Paramount+ and the Paramount Network.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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More conceptual questions that don’t include a number to optimize can’t easily be studied with AlphaEvolve.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2026
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In reality, little was lost in the scuffle over the conceptual work.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Today, the municipality doesn’t seem too eager to promote its affinity for the international language (its tourism office tends to focus more on local castles and caves), but Herzberg has achieved near-mythic status among some Esperantists.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
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Horses, those strange mythical creatures.—
Nielsen Dinwoodie,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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