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
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
But Tianwen 3 needs to land even lower down, with the criteria being at least 9,840 feet (3,000 m) below notional sea level, according to a paper published in the journal Nature by scientists involved in the mission.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
The United States 3rd Marine Division executes a notional fire mission with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System during a training exercise at Camp Hansen on Japan's Okinawa Island on July 28, 2025.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
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
But Tianwen 3 needs to land even lower down, with the criteria being at least 9,840 feet (3,000 m) below notional sea level, according to a paper published in the journal Nature by scientists involved in the mission.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
The United States 3rd Marine Division executes a notional fire mission with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System during a training exercise at Camp Hansen on Japan's Okinawa Island on July 28, 2025.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notional
Adjective
-
The same gap exists across Office and Administrative roles—90% theoretical capability, a fraction of that actually in use.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Who could a theoretical player be in a deal?—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Nobody has ever called Brentford head coach Keith Andrews a magical or imaginary being.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Circumpolar stars Astronomers use a common set of reference points to project Earth’s north and south poles, and the equator, onto the celestial sphere, an imaginary sphere encompassing the sky.—
Vahe Peroomian,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In those earlier pictures, metaphysical conceits became visual and dramatic gambits as the filmmakers set out to colonize the vast interior worlds of, respectively, the mind and the spirit.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
-
His concern was metaphysical confusion.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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To ventriloquize one’s parent is a bold move, and fictitious Barbara would absolutely read it as a betrayal.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
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Who wants to sit through a fictitious novelist’s clumsy drafts?—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Included are a variety of abstract, representational, landscapes, seascapes and whimsical pieces, some of which have a specific meaning, McCabe said.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
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Constructing his earliest works from castoff two-by-fours, Mosley soon progressed to carving small figures and from there to using a chisel and gauge to shape larger abstract forms from fallen logs of hickory, cherry, and sycamore discarded by the city’s parks department.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In a signal of how much pressure there was to do right by the beloved fictional couple, four endings were written and filmed.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Irish Triangle may sound like a fictional, far-away land, but, luckily for Louisvillians, this magical corner of the Highlands is very real.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Compassionate Venus and conceptual Neptune combine to bless your 5th House of Amusement with extra inspiration.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
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For the big brains at Pixar, always up for a conceptual challenge, interspecies communication is not a given to be embraced but a problem to be solved.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Sightings of mythical creatures in Rhode Island are far and few between these days, but a giant serpent that supposedly once lived in the woods of present-day Coventry is the subject of enduring local lore.—
Antonia Noori Farzan,
The Providence Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
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Some figures raise their arms in poses that suggest bodybuilders or mythic heroes.—
Miguel Sirgado,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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