notional

adjective

ˈnō-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce notional (audio)
Definition of notionalnext
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

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 notional Other than sports, combos trump other categories for notional volume on Kalshi, with over 35% total volume share. — Ananya Chetia,davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 Kalshi didn’t start offering sports wagers until January 2025; now those bets make up more than 80% of its notional volume when including parlays. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 28 July 2026 In June alone, the platform recorded nearly $11 billion in global monthly notional volume, largely driven by World Cup trading. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 17 July 2026 If your quarterly goal is to raise conversion and the biggest drop-off sits in checkout, then that flow should become your priority, not a notional footer redesign. — Polina Chebanova, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for notional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notional
  1. theoretical
  2. imaginary
  3. metaphysical
  4. fictitious
  5. abstract
  6. fictional
  7. conceptual
  8. mythical
Adjective
  • Drawing on the theoretical work of economist Hyman Minsky, Kindleberger went through centuries of economic history and saw a recurring pattern.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
  • There are scores of results across not just number theory but also geometry and theoretical computer science that the proofs of quasi-Riemann will, in a swift stroke, establish as mathematical truths.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of theoretical
Adjective
  • The wealth tax opponents have applied the age-old technique of mustering superficially plausible, but largely imaginary, consequences of passage.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The genre gave him considerably more freedom to invent architectural settings, mixing classical ruins, waterways, and figures into elaborate imaginary landscapes.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of imaginary
Adjective
  • The best moments on records like Redemption, Blackheart, and Second Line use her knack for grand, metaphysical metaphors to charge her singing with epic stakes.
    — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Our work re-imagines these ancient tombs as theatrical spaces, built to perpetuate a form of metaphysical human experience.
    — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of metaphysical
Adjective
  • This Lincolnian view of the war—that the United States was perpetual and that the Confederate States of America was a fictitious, farcical nation—has led to various historical interpretations ever since, among historians and laypeople alike.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The series will be set in a fictitious Barneys in Beverly Hills, not New York, and the real founding family of the retailer, the Pressman family, has no involvement, the spokesperson said.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of fictitious
Adjective
  • An abstract painting by Walker features in Kindred’s show, signalled by the artist’s former profession as a trainee dancer at the Royal Ballet School.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Newspapers and books also joined the dots between apparently disconnected events and items of gossip, helping readers to see their problems in abstract, systemic and political terms.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of abstract
Adjective
  • The novel was also partly epistolary, including segments of fictional court transcripts and news coverage created by King (who enjoyed mimicking different writing styles).
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The film—based on the 2014 play Switzerland by Joanna Murray-Smith—sets a fictional scene in the final chapter of Highsmith’s life.
    — Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fictional
Adjective
  • That caught the attention of his professor Allan Sekula, a conceptual artist who married photography and text to create installations that explored issues of labor and trade.
    — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • According to the council agenda report, the original plan included a conceptual design for as much as 250,000 square feet of commercial development at the site.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of conceptual
Adjective
  • Waller is one of the NFL’s few mythical figures — one whose story precedes his stats, whose name supersedes his acclaim.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
  • With the season’s final two episodes not provided to critics, there’s no way to say yet whether The Lowdown achieves that mythical outcome of all mystery seasons, the Finale That Pulls It All Together.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of mythical

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Cite this Entry

“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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