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
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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
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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 the summer of 2023, the original organizers of what would become the Denver Summit NWSL franchise had a hunch—more like metaphysical certitude, really—that a massive untapped market existed for professional women’s soccer in the Mile High City.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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The cartoon’s title character’s appearance was based on the movie star Rita Hayworth, and surrounded by a varied cast of colorful co-workers to populate the fictitious Chicago newsroom where Brenda was employed.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
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Philadelphia courts issued a fraud alert Saturday about fictitious text messages that appear to come from the city's traffic division.—
Terra Sullivan,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 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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The gambit that Shelley somehow comes to possess her fictional creation is sustained, as Ida alternates between a very American dialect and a more high-toned British accent.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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The film has resulted in some confusion online given a documentary last year titled Age of Disclosure, which interviewed former government officials about UAPs, with some wondering if Spielberg’s fictional movie is part of some larger conspiratorial effort on the topic.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 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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Hill compared Chamberlain to a Paul Bunyon-type, a mythical figure in sports in large part because there's little video of his playing heyday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Celebrate all things Irish, rock out to four bands, watch a musical that intertwines two mythic tales, see a Baltimore cult classic at the Senator Theatre and listen to a soulful tribute to R&B legends.—
John Coffren,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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