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 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
  • For now, the research work establishes a theoretical possibility under restrictive conditions, not evidence that any black hole has ever been divided into two.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Such scenarios may become more common as militaries continue to deploy a once-theoretical technology — AI-assisted or autonomous weapons, capable of making both targeting and launch decisions on their own — on real battlefields around the globe.
    — Kylie Jones, Vox, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of theoretical
Adjective
  • The book used an imaginary dialogue between two women to explain the principles of economics, collecting the ideas of the new science together in a way that had never before been attempted.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Bill Irwin isn’t going anywhere — knock on all available wood — except quickly to the imaginary bathroom just off stage right several times a night as his character’s regimen of enemas kicks in.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of imaginary
Adjective
  • The latter perhaps most acutely reflected such dominant motifs in Gibson’s midcareer work as female figures, birds, and metaphysical reflectors.
    — The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Friedel Dzubas spent most of his career making enormous, vibrant Color Field–esque abstract paintings.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The top was somewhat simple, a strapless corset bodice with a few abstract splashes of white congregating on the righthand side, but the gown grew decidedly more dramatic on the way down.
    — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of abstract
Adjective
  • The latest season, currently being aired, depicts a fictional Chinese intelligence agency capturing and torturing some of the Japanese spies.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
  • To make the investigation personal, Ashton is using the cheerleaders’ photos as suspect pictures, while co-captain Mackenzie has supplied fun facts for their fictional police statements.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fictional
Adjective
  • Under the conceptual arrangement, the city would own the property and oversee street construction, while the district would participate financially and construct its own access drives connecting to the new street.
    — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Staten Island hip-hop titans conceived of the album as a conceptual artwork, a protest against the cheapening of music in the age of widespread piracy.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of conceptual
Adjective
  • The rooms Even the most economical rooms are on point, continuing that mythic, sultry vibe that’s consistent across the resort.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Also as is custom, adults will fret about the mostly mythical dangers children may face.
    — Muizz Akhtar, Vox, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of mythical

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notion
notional
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Cite this Entry

“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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