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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of notional
That notional system features four interceptor layers, one of which is space-based.
—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
13 May 2026
Their new simulation method models notional dark matter interactions with particles called baryons—that is, mainly protons and neutrons—in and around a Milky Way–scale galaxy.
—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
6 May 2026
Hyperliquid generated approximately $962m in fees in 2025 on roughly $3tn in notional trading volume.
—
Bob Diamond,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
According to General Atomics, a notional mission profile envisions MQ-9B aircraft launching from friendly bases in the Western or Southern Pacific, transiting to designated hold points outside an adversary’s weapons engagement zone, and loitering there for extended periods.
—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for notional
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
13 May 2026
Their new simulation method models notional dark matter interactions with particles called baryons—that is, mainly protons and neutrons—in and around a Milky Way–scale galaxy.
—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
6 May 2026
Hyperliquid generated approximately $962m in fees in 2025 on roughly $3tn in notional trading volume.
—
Bob Diamond,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
According to General Atomics, a notional mission profile envisions MQ-9B aircraft launching from friendly bases in the Western or Southern Pacific, transiting to designated hold points outside an adversary’s weapons engagement zone, and loitering there for extended periods.
—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for notional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notional
Adjective
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Just as hedgehogs deplore foxes for a lack of theoretical ambition, foxes spend their time screaming at hedgehogs for missing this or that eloquent detail.
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The researchers found that the measurements matched theoretical calculations, thereby serving as evidence that thorium atoms can bind with each other.
Adjective
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In an age of visual and underground detection, why am I delayed at a traffic signal waiting for an imaginary vehicle to enter the intersection?
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And what’s a novelist but a fence, furnishing imaginary scenes with choice pieces of reality while obscuring their provenance?
Adjective
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In both the real and metaphysical locations of the show, the backgrounds are all painted by hand, something which was pointed out took up a lot of time due to the number of paintings in the show and due to the number of montages.
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In the 18th century Samuel Johnson coined the term metaphysical poets to criticize Donne, John Cleveland, and Abraham Cowley.
Adjective
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The book traces the fictitious Yeoman family’s evolution over generations from self-sufficient homesteaders to participants in global markets.
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Hosting its usual presentation at its headquarters, located a stone’s throw from San Babila square, the brand installed video walls that broadcast a fictitious runway show created with the help of AI.
Adjective
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And that fear does not remain abstract.
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Those are not abstract AI principles.
Adjective
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While the heroine in this novel is fictional, readers will be drawn to this mystery set during WWII about codebreaking, and a Nazi threat on American soil.
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Cue a whole host of dodgy deals and shady string-pulling, not to mention an extramarital affair, as the entirely fictional — but no doubt true to life — character abandons any sense of morality.
Adjective
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But any correspondence between string theory and experiment is gratifying to Vafa, who has spent the past four decades trying to wrest the theory from the purely conceptual realm to the point of generating testable predictions.
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Noah Rubin Rubin and his colleagues first proposed the design for this camera in a previous conceptual paper.
Adjective
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Not to be outdone, Nintendo released a console of their own, the GameCube, which was a little underappreciated in its heyday, but has reached almost mythical status with the passage of time.
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Since her tragic death at age 36 in 1997, the almost mythical lure of her jewels has only grown.
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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