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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 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 No matchup is notional from here on. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 27 June 2026 That places an emphasis on tangible experiences versus notional projects that may or may not go anywhere. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 10 June 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
  • The Virgo Moon moves through your 2nd House of Resources, making spending, pricing, comfort, and self-worth feel more practical than theoretical.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The public comments came shortly after Fauci had privately raised the theoretical possibility that fever and cytokine-related reactions after a second vaccine dose could be associated with first-trimester miscarriage.
    — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of theoretical
Adjective
  • Just before the pandemic, Manhattan’s MCC Theater staged a show called All the Natalie Portmans, about a gay Black teenage cinephile who envisions the actor as a kind of manic pixie imaginary friend.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Near the end of the story, Gardner pledges to kill his imaginary son to spare him war’s toll, but backs out upon his wish to be transformed into a noble soldier.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of imaginary
Adjective
  • That Dante lived during both the 13th and 14th centuries — and that Tosches’ movements as his novel’s protagonist take place at the start of the 21st century — means nothing in Schnabel’s meta-metaphysical realm.
    — A.D. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The war on language is more metaphysical than just the policing of proper social justice terminology, Williams argues.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of metaphysical
Adjective
  • The undercover analyst noted in a message that his fictitious 4-year-old brother would be home the next day, when the Perez meeting was expected.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Final testing relied on fictitious data instead of the real records of millions of residents.
    — Komal Goyal, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fictitious
Adjective
  • That site is temporarily closed, and many of the items—pedestals and furniture, photographs and tools—are coming from Paris for this show, giving Brancusi’s cool, abstract sculptures a rich, human context.
    — Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Venus in your 12th House of Solitude trines Pluto early on, helping private healing feel less abstract and more powerful.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of abstract
Adjective
  • Anything seemed possible in medical science breakthroughs, from repairing a fictional astronaut to reconstructing a real-life ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The fictional microstate Elgaland-Vargaland begins as an artistic game but evolves into a powerful lens on borders and identity.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of fictional
Adjective
  • Primary contractor Raytheon and partner Composite Energy Technology (CET) developed HADALUS in under 18 months from conceptual sketch to functioning prototype.
    — David Szondy August 17, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Though not outright as conceptual as its predecessors, La Nueva Violencia leaves room to ponder celebrity overexposure and the mind-warping effects of the content age.
    — Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of conceptual
Adjective
  • The American supermarket, with its endless array of products and innovations like the shopping cart and barcodes, has achieved an almost mythical status around the world.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Such is the power of mythic literature that the creation has outlived his creator.
    — Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2026.

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